On Saturday, November 2, PFCU sponsored the Feels Like Home Gala at the Germantown Cricket Club that supports Depaul USA Philadelphia. PFCU’s Pablo Soto and Erin Ellis attended the event and other PFCU employees donated wine for one of their fundraisers.
On Wednesday, November 6, PFCU employees attended WXTU’s Celebration Luncheon. PFCU sponsored WXTU’s “Survivor’s Celebration” campaign that ran through the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Throughout the month, WXTU ran breast cancer prevention facts and solicited stories of survivors to celebrate during their morning show. The women that were featured in those stories were invited to an exclusive lunch at Ramblewood Country Club, and as a surprise, the country music duo Maddie & Tae (Maddie Marlow and Taylor Dye) performed some songs including their debut single “Girl in a Country Song.” There were also raffle prizes and a $100.00 Visa Gift Card donated by PFCU.
Country music singer Maddie Marlow, PFCU Marketing Manager Mary Posluszny, PFCU VP of Marketing Mary Simmons, PFCU Marketing Coordinator Shannon Lutz, and country music singer Taylor Dye at WXTU’s Celebration Luncheon.
On Friday, November 8, PFCU partnered with Spark, a national non-profit dedicated to helping middle school students achieve successful futures, to host a two-hour workshop for Mary McLeod Bethune School students. The workshop, focused on responsible decision making, gave students an opportunity to learn about financial literacy and the types of careers offered by a credit union through hands-on activities. PFCU’s Accredited Financial Counselor Erin Ellis taught students key financial vocabulary terms like “risk,” “alternative,” “consequence,” and “opportunity cost” to strengthen their understanding of the terms in both a general and financial sense so they can apply these concepts to real-life situations like saving for a new smartphone or applying for a loan. The students also played a group trivia game using these words so that when it comes to making real-life decisions – financial or not – they will be able to successfully weigh the pros and cons of their choices and actions. Additionally, the students took a tour of the credit union to see first-hand all of the different job opportunities at PFCU.
PFCU Marketing Coordinator Shannon Lutz and PFCU Business Development Specialist Leanne DeWitt working on a fun activity with their group during the Spark Workshop.
On Thursday, November 14, PFCU’s Pablo Soto and Erin Ellis attended the 1st Annual Spelling Bee fundraiser for the Community Learning Center (CLC). PFCU sponsored the spelling bee where corporate teams competed to raise money for the CLC, a Philadelphia non-profit organization that helps adults learn to read and write for free. In addition to boosting adult literacy, the CLC prepares adults for their GED test and provides career coaches to help with resumes and job interviews.
Community Learning Center staff members with PFCU’s Erin Ellis at the
1st Annual Spelling Bee fundraiser.
Community Learning Center staff members who won the 1st Annual Spelling Bee.
On Friday, November 15, PFCU’s Erin Ellis held a financial literacy session at a SpArc Job Club where people with intellectual disabilities who are looking for a job can go to build their resume skills. Once a month for the last few years, Ellis has been going to SpArc to offer financial advice on how to save money and how to budget with a part-time or full-time job.
Throughout the month, PFCU’s Erin Ellis collaborated with the Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC) to facilitate Financial Advancement Network (FAN) Clubs to three different organizations. FAN Clubs are groups of 5-20 people who commit to meeting on a regular basis to improve their money management habits, rectify troubled financial situations, and pursue their financial goals.
On Monday, November 18, Ellis held the first of six Personal Finance classes for students at WB Saul High School as part of the UAC’s initiative. Once the students complete the six-class series, they’ll receive gift cards donated by PFCU and they’ll have a graduation ceremony. This year marks the third that Ellis has gone to WB Saul to teach high school seniors about financial literacy.
Gino, a student from WB Saul in the FAN Club,
holding a tarantula at a butterfly pavilion in the school’s gym.
Ellis will complete the UAC FAN Clubs for individuals at the Institute for Community Justice (ICJ), a program of Philadelphia FIGHT, most of whom have been previously incarcerated. She’ll also hold sessions at PAR-Recycle Works for those who have been previously incarcerated who are getting work experience by recycling electronics.
The FAN Club from ICJ with PFCU’s Erin Ellis.
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