Linn Area Credit Union was honored to help support Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Project. This program challenges women to devote at least one day to the effort to eliminate poverty housing. Women Build had one project in Cedar Rapids in 2012 for a family that is originally from Burundi Central Africa. (Go here to learn more about Women Build and the family).

One of the days during the build, Linn Area Credit Union provided lunch for the women participating. Three friendly Linn Area faces were part of the event and have each written about their experience. Here are their stories:

Bonnie, Senior Account Representative at Mt. Vernon Road:

Ever since I heard about a home being built in Iowa City five years ago, I have wanted to do a Women Build project.  My cousin was working on that particular project and I thought, “How cool would that be to be a part of!”  This year, a close friend of mine happened to be on the committee that finds people to help serve lunch to the volunteers. I told her I had always wanted to do be part of Women Build and she gave me info to volunteer.

It was such an amazing experience, we started the day off with lifting thanks to our higher power and the blessings he has given to each of us and the family that will live in the home.  The family was there helping, so we had an opportunity to visit at lunch and breaks. This made the experience so much more of a blessing for me. The day before we came to help, the walls, foundation and some stairs to the back door were completed.  Our day was spent setting the interior walls, framing out closets and the kitchen, bathroom and laundry area. We even set the roof tresses! I was actually standing in the tresses at the end of the day helping to lay the sheeting on the roof – and I have a fear of heights! No belt. Just weaving in and out of tresses and 2×4′s – amazing!

The day was filled with new friendships, laughter, a huge sense of pride and a few hammered thumbs. It was a great experience and I can’t wait to be able to help again.  I want to say a BIG thank you to LACU for providing lunch for the 25 volunteers we had that day.  We all worked up an appetite but thought the sandwich was too big and we would only eat half (a girl thing), but I ate all of my lunch that day :).

Sandra, Financial Counselor at Mt. Vernon Road:

Volunteering was so much fun! I was there to help serve lunch. Meeting the women who were hard at work was awesome!  The women volunteering were from all walks of life – from a retired woman from a different state, to a college sorority, along with all different cultures and races. It was amazing thing to see everyone join together for a greater cause!  I volunteered because it makes me feel so good inside to be able to help.  I might not always be able to give money, but I can give a little bit of my time to help. I even brought my kids along so they could understand how important it is to help people, no matter where they come from.

Bobbie, Finance Department at Blairs Ferry:

This is something that I have always wanted to help with. When Bonnie asked for volunteers, I wanted to help, but had too many things going on that day. So when the opportunity came along to help serve lunches at the site, I said that I could help with that.  Hy-Vee dropped off box lunches for the crew, and all we had to do was organize by sandwich and hand them to the workers -very simple.

I learned a lot, not just about Women Build Project, but Habitat for Humanity.  There is so much that they do and so many people they help. It was really amazing. If the opportunity arises again, I think that I would actually like to be a part of the construction in some way.

WE WANT TO KNOW: Do you volunteer? Why?

Tomorrow (August 31st), Linn Area Credit Union employees as well as many other businesses across the Corridor are going causal – Causal For Kids, that is!

You are probably wondering what the heck “Corridor Goes Casual For Kids” is.  It’s a movement that began in 2011 in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Corridor to help raise money for various local children’s causes. Employees of participating companies are encouraged to pay just $5 a piece for the rights to wear jeans (or other casual clothes) to work on  September 1st each year (August 31st this year since it fell on a holiday) a specific date. That company then determines how the collective donations are distributed. (Click here to see a list of the businesses that participated in 2011.)

Since we already wear jeans on Friday at Linn Area Credit Union (if we donate to the Children’s Miracle Network), we will be switching it up a little bit for Casual for Kids Day. Each LACU team member who wants to wear a college shirt (Iowa, ISU, UNI – GO PANTHERS!) will donate $5 to ANY children’s cause they choose, and then Linn Area will send that money directly to the children’s organization. Pretty cool, right???

Last year, Linn Area Credit Union raised $260, which was donated to  a couple different charities last year. We are hoping to reach an even higher goal of $300 in 2012!

Skip the latte and doughnut for just one day, and make a kid’s life even better! Think your employer would be interested in joining Corridor goes Casual For Kids in 2013? Just go here for more information!

Don’t forget to stop in tomorrow and see which team your favorite Account Representative is rooting for! Which team do you support??

We don’t just TALK about family trees – we SAVE them, too! In fact, we’ve already saved 46 of them. (Stay with me, friends, I promise I’m going to tie it together!)

Last year, Linn Area Credit Union vowed to become a more environmentally conscious workplace.  A team of employees joined together and created the Green Team. This team looks for ways that LACU can be kinder to good Ol’ Mother Nature. One thing the Green Team noticed was that we were throwing away A LOT of stuff that actually could be recycled. So they partnered with City Carton to help the staff truly understand what could/could not be recycled. And, boy, what a difference recycling makes!

City Carton provides an awesome service which gives a company an idea of how much GOOD they’ve done for the planet. In just 6 short months, here is what LACU has accomplished:

Tell us in the comments below, do you recycle? Why or why not?

Three incredible women. Nearly 300 votes. One winner was determined, but all three were honored. Here’s how it all went down when we surprised each on the finalists on Friday, May 11th:

Judy Brewer
Status: Runner Up
Surprised at: Carlos O’Kelley’s
Co-Conspirator: Elizabeth, her daughter

Judy was already having a fabulous Friday when I came to surprise her. Elizabeth was graduating from college the following day, so Judy’s sister came up for a visit and all the girls planned on doing lunch together followed by a pedicure. Oh la la! I worked with Elizabeth to catch them just after they got seated at Carlos O’Kelley’s. After a series of texts, calls and one really awful parking job, I met Elizabeth outside the restaurant, where she led me to meet the wonderful Judy.

As I approached the table with a gorgeous arrangement of flowers, her mom’s face erupted into a huge smile. I introduced myself and let her know that she was a runner up in our contest. She was extremely grateful and overwhelmed with the honor. Like the selfless mom that we’ve come to know and love, Judy started gushing about how fabulous her daughter is. It was obvious that these two have an incredible relationship.

I didn’t keep the family very long so that they could continue on with the rest of their “girls day,” although I’m certain Judy would have been totally fine if I started sneaking a few chips with salsa and then joined them for a pedi. That’s just the kind of wonderful mama she is!

Karen Brenneman
Status: Runner Up
Surprised at: Her Home
Co-Conspirator: Greg, her son

Surprising Karen was a little bit different. She had taken the day off work, so Greg and I weren’t sure where she would be at any given time. So instead of trying to chase her down, I called to let her know about the little surprise that Linn Area Credit Union wanted to give her. I have to tell you that even after a short convo on the phone, it was easy to tell why she had so many votes of support. Such a sweetheart!

I popped over to Karen’s home in the afternoon and was greeted with a warm smile. She was just as easy to talk to in person as she was on the phone – whew! As we chatted about the contest, Karen started to tell me about how her son Greg can’t keep a secret and told her right away about his story. It was really cute.  8-) As she told me more about her children and how proud she is of them, the tears started coming. Oh man. Even I got a little choked up!

Karen certainly is an amazing woman and we’re so glad that Greg nominated her!

Helen Girard
Status: Winner of the City Looks Salon & Spa Day of Beauty
Surprised at: Truman Elementary
Co-Conspirator: Shirley, her daughter

For the second year in a row, the person your chose as your winner had NO IDEA that she was even nominated. (I swear, I don’t know how people make it happen!) When Shirley heard about the contest, she started to contact not just her own friends and family, but she got in contact with the schools that Helen volunteers at. Many of the votes came from parents and past students whose lives she had touched tremendously. But Shirley didn’t stop there. Nope. She hacked into her mom’s email and managed to get contact info for Helen’s past colleagues and friends from college. Talk about a group effort.

Shirley continued her super stealth moves, determining where her mom would be volunteering that afternoon and then working with that school to allow us the clearance to make the BIG surprise. So at 2:00 pm on Friday afternoon, I pulled into Truman Elementary and waited for the “a-ok” from Shirley. Funny story, as Shirley was arriving at the school, her mom was on the road at the same time. Shirley had to quickly divert to a side street before Helen noticed her!

Once I got the all clear, Shirley and a Truman co-conspirator ushered me to the perfect hiding place off to the side on the gym. Shirley stood with me, shaking with excitement. Literally, the girl was shaking like a leaf. We could hear them bringing in the group of kindergarteners that Helen was working with that day. Helen joined them, none the wiser… cue me and a basket of goodies! (Click here to see the video of how it all went down!)

To say that Helen was shocked is the understatement of the year. In true form, after the initial shock, Helen turned to the group of kids and started to tell them how special each and every one of them are. Sure, her words were directed to the kids that were in the gym at that very moment, but it was clear to me that they applied to every person that she had ever influenced. This woman whole-heartedly believes in the success of the kids, not only in school, but in their home lives as well.

Needless to say, there were lots of tears and hugs.

As we started to give Helen more details about the contest, she was overwhelmed to find out how many people had come out of the woodwork to vote for her. What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when Helen reads all the wonderful comments that people left as to why she was deserving of the Day of Beauty. Hopefully there are many boxes of Kleenex available for that tear jerking experience!

Indeed, Helen is very deserving of some pampering and we’re proud that she will reign as our Linn Area Credit Union 2012 Nom the Mom!

We couldn’t be happier that these three women were our 2012 Nom the Mom finalists. What impeccable examples of love, strength and unconditional love. Congratulations goes out to all of them and their families! A big thank you goes out to City Looks Salon & Spa for putting together the gorgeous basket for our winner. And, of course, thanks to all of you who voted!

After nearly 300 votes for the finalists, I’m excited to give you the woman YOU voted as Linn Area Credit Union’s 2012 Nom the Mom. Check out the video of us surprising her:

Congratulations to our winner and to our other finalists!!! you are all amazing women! Happy Mother’s Day!

Oh my word! We were overwhelmed by the response we got for our second annual Nom the Mom contest (want to see the pics of some of our nominees? Go here!). I wish that we could have selected ALL of those that were nominated! But *sigh* it just isn’t possible.

So once again, I asked for a volunteer committee of five Linn Area employees to each separately review each entry and then submit their top 3 moms to me. A BIG thank you goes out to Jess (Finance), Liz (Fraud Specialist), Kathy (Collections), Amy (Collections) and Matt (Compliance)! I complied their votes and the top 3 moms emerged to become your finalists in the Nom the Mom contest!

Now YOU have the toughest job of them all – CHOOSING the deserving mom who will win the City Looks Salon & Spa Day of Beauty (info on HOW to vote is right after the three stories).

Are you ready for this? You might want to grab some kleenex first. Okay, I warned you! Here they are, in alphabetical order:

The Mom: Karen Brenneman

Nominated by: Greg (her son)

My mother’s name is Karen Brenneman.  She is the mother of two young men, Greg (24) and Grant (21).  She has been married to my father, Scott, for the past 31 years.  She is a trustworthy, faithful, loving, compassionate, strong willed, dedicated, and most of all patient mother.  She displays all these qualities day in and day out.  Her and my father have worked together nearly their whole lives.  She was born in Cedar Rapids and was moved around as a child.  She was an Kindergarten Teacher for a few years before going into business with my father.  She has been involved in me and my brothers lives tremendously between school and sports.  She loves a good glass of wine and time with friends.

My mother deserves to be nominated because of all her qualities she displays.  She goes to church every sunday and participates in small groups (small group leader), she also helps be the host at are church every 4th Month.  She is a faithful follower of Christ.  As listed about my mother has numerous qualities that stand out but there is one thing my mother is dealing with that a guarantee no other mother is dealing with.  My mother has a medical condition called “Frozen Shoulder.”  It is exactly what it sounds like.  Her shoulder has frozen and she literally can’t completely use her arm.  Her arm is constantly at her side 24 hours a day and has been this way since December.  This condition can last up to 2 years.  She has been going to physical therapy but have not seen any progress yet.  My mother does all the things that mothers typically do.  She cooks, cleans, works, runs errands and mothers the family like a loving mother should.  The best part is she does with one arm.  Her arm will not extend or even go up more than a few degrees.  Her hand its self can’t get much higher than her waist.  Try doing laundry or cooking or trying to carry in groceries.  Even the easiest things like closing your car door has become a chore.  The pain for me and my family is emotional because I can see the pain in my mothers eyes.  There are days she just breaks down due to the frustration of not being able to enjoy life.  She randomly gets shooting pain from her shoulder in her arm and she has to stop everything she is doing till it goes away.  The pain is so intense it brings tears to her eyes and just kills me to see her going through this.

Personally I believe my mother needs a day of rest, relaxation and beauty from her ongoing struggle with her frozen shoulder.  She is a very strong women but after these last 5 months she is due for a little “Women Time.”  Please nominate my mother for this years Mother of the Year … She truly deserves every minute of it.

The Mom: Judy Brewer

Nominated by: Elizabeth (her daughter)

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine – she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights.  ~Terri Guillemets

For all my life I knew I wanted to be a mother.  A mother has an everlasting place in their children’s heart and soul.  For this I am sure because this is where my mother is.  She is always with me; in my heart telling me that she loves me; in my soul telling me to be the strong woman she knows I can be; in my ear telling me over the phone everyday how much she misses me; in my mind reminding me to always be the best person I can be; and next to me holding my hand.

My mother lost her parent’s by the age of­­ 20.  I have never heard her complain or become discouraged.  All I hear are great reminders of how amazing her parents were and how proud they would be of the family she has made.  Her parents molded her into the strong woman she has become, and my mother is still molding me into the woman that I am and the woman I want to be.

No matter the stresses and hardships I put my mother through, she cries with me, picks me up, straightens me out, smiles with me, and puts me on the right path.  Most parents can’t wait to have their children move out of the house.  I am 22, finishing college, and living with my parents.  Every single day my mother tells me how God has blessed her with keeping me with her, if just for a few more months.

When the time comes for me to start my career and move away, this will be the time when she will show her true strength.  She will cry.  She will smile.  She will beg for me to stay just one more day.  But she will give me a big hug and a kiss, and slip some money in my hand as I walk away.  She will want me to stay, but she will also encourage me to start the new chapter in my life.  Her heart and words will stay with me as I move on, but she will let me go and grow as an adult and continue to grow until I can be the wife and mother I know her to be.

As I begin the next chapter of my life, I will always remember the words my mother taught me.  To always be kind, helpful, graceful, and loving. Every night as I went to sleep as a child she would whisper in my ear, “I love you forever. I like you for always. As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be”. I will always remember these words and they will shape me into the mother I will some day become. I could only hope and pray to become half the woman I know her to be.

The Mom: Helen Girard

Nominated by: Shirley Girard (her daughter)

I would like to nominate my mom, Helen Girard, for the Mother’s Day contest. Why, you ask? Here goes:

My mom, although married for 20 years of her time being a mom, has spent the majority those years as a single parent. My older brother is Autistic, learning disabled, and has a nerve disorder, among other developmental issues. He was diagnosed at age 5 &has had a rough road since then. She spends a considerable amount of her life making sure he is alright. This includes meetings with his supervised living staff, taking him to and from places (he can’t drive), & just making sure he has what he needs.

Growing up, I used to get frustrated sometimes because several of my friends would call the house, my mom would answer, & I wasn’t given the phone until they chatted for several minutes. A few times, they actually called to talk to her. I have several friends who still feel that she was like a mom to them growing up because she cared for them so & was often there for them when even their own family wasn’t. She wasn’t in the best situation at the time but she made the best of it & did what she could.

I too am a single parent. When times get tough, my mom is always there. She has been a very integral part of my life & my son’s life. She took care of him when he was a baby while I worked & went to school full time. Later, she let us move in with her while I finished my education. After living with her for almost 3 years, my son & I were able to get a brand new place of our own, which would have never been possible without her. When I had minor surgery 19 months ago, she stayed at my house for 3 days to take care of my son and to make sure I was taken care of as well. She helps my son with homework, communicates with his teachers to relieve me a bit and strives to make my life & his as great as they can be. She’s always loved me for me, no matter what, & made sure I knew that at all times.

In the recent past, I was unemployed for 4 months & she made sure that I knew she was there to help out in any way she could. In addition to all of the above, she taught for 20+ years in the Cedar Rapids Community Schools where she had a daily impact on children. Even though she’s been retired for 2 years now, she gets graduation invitations & hugs from former students she runs into.

She volunteers on a committee for the Linn County Child Development Center, volunteers at Truman Elementary & Prairie Point. She takes an older friend in poor health to appointments & shopping.

My mom has dealt with a lot throughout the years & often I wonder how she’s done it. She deserves an award for being such an incredibly strong, caring, loving, all around amazing person. As crazy as she makes me sometimes, I’m very proud to call her mom.

Now it’s YOUR turn! We need you to VOTE for the mom you think is the most deserving of the City Looks Salon & Spa Day of Beauty prize.

To vote, leave a comment on this blog post telling us the name of the mom you are voting for and make sure to include WHY you think they deserve to get pampered. (Psst… to vote this way, you have to give us your name and a valid email addy – but no worries! Your email address will not be displayed on the comment and we won’t email you!)

**UPDATE: You have to scroll to the bottom of the blog, waaaay down past everyone else’s comments before the box appears where you can cast your vote!**

Only one vote per person, please! (And, yes, we will be watching IP addresses – so play fair!)

Voting goes until 12:00pm (noon) CST on Thursday, May 10^th. The Nom the Mom winner will be announced right here on our blog on Friday, May 11^th – just in time for Mother’s Day!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at tbross@linnareacu.org! (Want to see some of the other nominees? Just go here!)

Let the voting begin!

The prize package (value of $300):

A Spa Facial or 50 minute Full Body Massage, Spa Manicure and Spa Pedicure, Hair Style and Makeup application and beautiful basket full of Aveda Bath & Body products! (value of $300)

How to Nominate a Mom:

To nominate that super-spectacular mom in your life (your mom, wife, sister, grandma, friend, co-worker, etc.), email the following things to tbross@linnareacu.org:

1. Her story. Tell us in 500 words or less why she deserves to get pampered! You can do this in a story, poem, sonnet – whatever! Don’t feel like writing? We’ll also consider video nominations – talking, singing, interpretive dance, live footage, just keep them under 3 minutes, please! The more creative, the better!
2. Her picture. We want to see this lovely lady you’re gushing about!
3. The full first and last name of the nominee.
   
4. Your contact information.

The Details:

1. All entries must be received no later than midnight on Monday, April 30th.
2. On Thursday, May 3rd, the top 3 submissions (as selected by Linn Area Credit Union) will be announced on our blog.
3. Area residents will then be able to begin voting immediately on our blog – only one vote per person! (Psst! We will be watching IP addresses!) The Mom who receives the most votes will win the City Looks Day of Beauty Package.
4. Voting will end at noon CST on Thursday, May 10th.
5. The winning Mom will be announced on our blog on Friday, May 11th.

The Rules:

• Entries received after midnight on Monday, April 30th will not be considered.
• Incomplete entries will not be eligible (see the four entry requirements above).
• Your entry must be emailed to tbross@linnareacu.org – no hard copies or other forms of entry will be accepted.
• All nominated moms must live in Linn or surrounding counties.
• The three finalists from the 2011 Nom the Mom contest are not eligible.
• You do not have to be a member of Linn Area Credit Union to nominate or be nominated.
• Linn Area Credit Union employees and their immediate families are not eligible to nominate or be nominated.
• Linn Area Credit Union reserves the right to discount votes from duplicate IP addresses.
• No purchase necessary.
• By submitting an entry, you are giving permission for Linn Area Credit Union to use your name, picture and submission for promotional and advertising purposes, including but not limited to our website, our blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Questions? Just shoot me (Tara) an email at tbross@linnareacu.org. We can’t wait to hear all about these wonderful women!

We have a favor to ask. We know you’re super busy, so here’s the Cliff Notes version…

• What’s going on?
  We need your help in urging Iowa senators to support a member business lending bill for credit unions. A vote could take place in a few days, so the sooner the better!

• Why should I care?
  If you patron small businesses (or maybe even own one), this is something you can do to help keep them in business and help them grow. It’s estimated this legislation could create 2,000 jobs for Iowans at no cost to taxpayers.

• I’m a busy person. How long does it take?
  I started the process at 3:16 p.m. and was done by 3:17 p.m.! Super easy.

• Okay, where do I go and what exactly do I have to do?
  Click here. The letter has been prewritten. All you have to do is fill in your info and hit “Send Message.” It really is just that easy.

So there’s the short story! We would appreciate any help you could give. Click here to get started right now!

If you have a little bit more time and would like some additional info, here’s a something that has been copy and pasted for your reading pleasure:

As the Senate works on legislation to spur the economy and grow jobs, credit unions should be part of that solution. Specifically, the federal cap on credit unions’ ability to make member business loans should be raised. Currently, credit unions’ total business loans to members cannot exceed 12.25% of assets. S. 2231 is bi-partisan legislation that would raise the member business lending cap to 27.5%. This would help credit unions provide small businesses with the capital they need to create jobs. This is very important, as banks have tightened lending standards, leaving qualified borrowers with fewer options to find a loan.

We need urgent action to send a message to Iowa Senators Harkin and Grassley to support S. 2231 and help create good jobs in Iowa and stimulate the economy. Lifting the cap would create more than 2,000 new jobs in Iowa with no cost to taxpayers.

On behalf of Linn Area Credit Union, I wanted to give a round of applause to Alliant! The Alliant Energy Foundation has given The Teacher Store a generous donation of $1,500. This money will go towards replenishing some of the most popular items in the store, such as Clorox wipes, Kleenex, markers, folders, and backpacks.

On Thursday, January 17th, Leah Rodenberg from the Alliant Energy Foundation stopped by The Teacher Store to present us with the coveted “big check” – and, YES, it actually was a BIG CHECK! She was given the grand tour and was very impressed with how much the store had to offer. (Go here to see some pictures of the Teacher Store.)

“What is this Teacher Store?” you might be asking yourself. The Teacher Store is a non-profit place where teachers can come to get things for their classrooms. We realize that schools cannot afford to supply everything necessary for each classroom and that often means that teachers end up buying things right out of their own pockets.

So in 2008, Linn Area Credit Union joined forces with the Cedar Rapids Education Association to open The Teacher Store, with the goal of providing classroom materials and supplies at no cost to local educators. In fact, the only form of currency accepted at this store is the Teacher Buck. Educators can earn Teacher Bucks in several ways, including by becoming a member of Linn Area Credit Union, being part of the CREA, or even by volunteering at the Teacher Store.

Okay, because YOU are so awesome and a loyal Bloggity Blog reader, we are going to give you a Teacher Buck to print off and give to your favorite educator! Just click on the picture of the blue Teacher Buck  and the picture should appear in its own screen. You can print it off from there, fill it out, and give it to your favorite educator! If you have any trouble, shoot me an email at tbross@linnareacu.org.

So tell us, who was YOUR favorite teacher in school?

Meet Katelynn. Katelynn was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes on September 11, 2010. Since then, she has endured approximately 2,325 shots and over 3,720 finger pokes for blood sugar testing. She now wears a pump that continuously gives her insulin. She wears this pump 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As Katelynn’s parents Eric and Julie point out, “The pump has changed Katelynn’s life, but it is not a CURE.” 

Over 3 million people live with Type I diabetes every day and that number continues to grow. Katelynn’s family and friends have formed a team (lovingly called Team Katie Bug) to participate in the Walk To Cure Diabetes on February 25^th at Westdale Mall. Team Katie Bug is raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which funds research to find a cure for diabetes. The Walk To Cure Diabetes is the largest fundraiser for JDRF. 

Linn Area Credit Union is a very proud sponsor of Team Katie Bug. Their goal is to raise $4,000 and, as of today, they are about 30% of the way! If you would like to help them reach their goal by making a donation to Team Katie Bug, just click here. Remember that donations are tax deductible and greatly appreciated. One more cool thing – you can use your PayPal account to make the donation through the JDRF website, so it really couldn’t be any easier!

Let’s find the cure!