Page 34 - Scene Magazine 42-06 June 2017

Local Interest
OMNI CCU Purpose of Serving Goes Beyond Membership
Credit unions are not-for-profit and ex- ist to serve their membership. For many credit unions, the purpose of serving goes well beyond their membership these days and extends to serving their communities as well. OMNI Community Credit Union is the perfect example of this.
The Southwest Michigan credit union updated its brand and mantra in 2016 to “The Power of Us. Together” - to better re- flect its ongoing commitment to work with and support local partners and non-profits to make their communities the best they can be.
“Our new brand showcases the part- nership between OMNI, our members and the communities we serve,” commented OMNI CEO Ted Parsons. “It’s who we are and what we stand for and how the loyalty of our members makes everything we do possible.”
Here are just a few examples of how OMNI gives back to the community:
OMNI Gives Back Grant Program –
This community give-back program was established in 2010. In its first year, a total of $40,000 was awarded to several chari- table organizations in Southwest Michi- gan. Grants are awarded every quarter and OMNI is proud to have given back over $300,000 to date. The OMNI Gives Back Grant program continues the tradition of truly investing in the communities they serve, and demonstrating that they are a local financial institution.
Annual Scholarship Programs –
OMNI also offers two scholarship pro- grams – one for high school students and one for college graduates. Both scholar- ships feature a community involvement requirement that applicants must meet.
The OMNI Scholarship Program awards scholarships to graduating high school stu- dents to help defray the cost of attending a two-year college, four-year university or vocational school. One student is awarded the $2,000 McCulley scholarship; the re- maining scholarships are $1,000 each.
The At Work Scholarship awards four college graduates with a $2,500 grant to help pay down college debt. OMNI rec- ognizes that student loan repayment can be overwhelming for graduates just start- ing out and the grant money is applied directly toward the debt on behalf of the graduates.
Wheels To Work: A Partnership with Goodwill – Since 2007, OMNI has part- nered with Goodwill Industries of Central Michigan’s Heartland to lend support to low income residents who are striving to- ward getting back on their feet financially and personally, and need help procuring reliable transportation to and from work.
On-going Community Involvement –
OMNI has a long-standing commitment to being involved in the community. That’s why you will see OMNI active at the 4H Fair Animal Auction as well as participating in annual donation collections, such as:
Coat Drive - Every year OMNI hosts a coat drive at each of its branches and do- nate the coats collected to local charities.
Red Cross Blood Drive – OMNI hosts these drives every year and has resulted in a great turnout as area residents have taken advantage of the convenience and opportu- nity to donate blood.
Shred Day/Food Drive – Over the years, this annual fall event has become very popular in the community. It has a “give and receive” theme to it – those who come can have their old sensitive documents securely shredded and they are asked to give back by bringing a minimum of two non-perishable food items or a monetary donation for the Food Bank of South Central Michigan.
OMNI CEO Ted Parsons noted the im- portance of having the credit union’s new brand messaging of “The Power of Us. Together.” - align with their ongoing com- mitment to work with and support local partners and non-profits to make the com- munities the best they can be.
“We believe our new statement says it all,” he concluded. “It does a much better job of representing who we are and telling our story and we couldn’t be doing this without the support of our amazing mem- bers and employees.”
To find out how you can join, call 866-OMNI-WOW or visit www.omnicom- munitycu.org.
A very special
THANK YOU
TOGETHER, WE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. By choosing OMNI as your financial partner, you made it possible to give back to local organizations that enrich our community. In 2016, we provided $40,000 in grants to non-profits across
SW Michigan as well as $20,000 in youth scholarships. Looking forward to what we can accomplish
together in 2017!
to our
MEMBERS!
866-OMNI-WOW | www.omnicommunitycu.org
Federally insured by NCUA
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