Northwest Community News and Events for 2009
Events and announcements for:
November 2009--Transfer your auto or home equity loan to us and get 1% cash back
Until November 30, you have one more great reason to
bring your loans to Northwest Community: You can get 1% cash back when you bring an
existing auto or home equity loan to us from another bank or credit union.
Read more about our 1% cash back special...
November 2009--Help make the holidays bright for local foster kids: donate gifts!
From November 13 to December 13, our Springfield branch is
collecting toys for KVAL and Sleep Country’s Secret Santa Toy Drive.
Please help us bring happy holidays to local foster kids by donating your gift of new,
unwrapped
gifts at our 5000 Main Street branch in Springfield. Some examples of preferred gifts are
toys, games, sporting equipment, musical instruments, gift certificates, mp3 players,
digital cameras, music CDs, and movie DVDs.
November 2009--Incidents of fraud and scams on the rise
The holiday season is approaching and scams are on the rise.
Every year, the holidays
present a perfect opportunity for criminals to perpetrate scams. Many people may feel more
stressed during the holiday season, and others may feel more generous. Either way, these
people could be at higher risk of becoming scam victims during the holiday season. Scam
artists have two main ways to trick you...
November 2009--Cottage Grove branch asks for your help with their holiday food drive
The Cottage Grove branch is collecting non-perishable food items
for their local food bank, Community Sharing. Please help us feed families in need this holiday
season by donating canned food at our Cottage Grove branch
from now until December 31.
November 2009--Feed the Need: Help eliminate hunger in Douglas & Josephine Counties
Our Roseburg branches are collecting food for United
Community Action Network “UCAN,” which serves the hungry in Douglas and Josephine
counties. To reach and exceed our goal of collecting 1100 pounds of food during
October and November, we need your help!
November 2009--Two members need help to rebuild their village in Samoa
Two of our members, Jack & Carol Batchelor, moved to
Samoa to help restore an old resort on the island. A tsunami hit the island
destroying most of the homes in their village and killing many people.
We have established a fund here at the credit union to accept donations (visit
any branch to donate) for the relief
efforts which are intended to help rebuild the
village. The Register Guard posted an
article
about Jack & Carol and KVAL
reported on their story. Our hearts go out to them and their community. Thank you
to everyone who has helped so far.
Tyler: There are so many bands and musical artists in
the world that we can’t possibly discover them all on our own. Here are 12
bands/musicians that I think are fantastic and incredibly versatile as artistic
expressionists...
Brian: It’s that time of year. Not when we sing songs
and drink hot cocoa, but when we get wrapped up in the spending madness of the buy more
mentality. I’m not knocking a good gift. I like bling as much as the next bloke. I’m just
thinking that with everything going on in our economy, maybe the less is more approach
really is more. Got
any tips or tricks that you use to de-stress your holiday shopping?
Holli: Have you ever wondered… If a Ninja can catch a
cold? Or does the cold catch the Ninja? Given their stealth speed and iron strength, who
will win the cold and flu battle? Let’s ask the true expert behind all things Ninja:
Ninja Man.
Brian: You may have heard I love crazy cat photos when
I need a quick laugh. Well, a
crazy cat video does the trick too...
Kristin: When I woke up this morning I started wondering
how today got such a bad reputation for being unlucky. It felt like any other day, better
even because it is a Friday! Well don’t you worry, I did some research and here is all you
need to
know...
Brian: Even though TSNW HQ is closed today due to the
holiday, I couldn’t resist a quick shout out to our veterans. Thank you for all that you do!
I’m going to take a moment to remember my grandfather, who served during WWII. He’s been gone
for 20 years but I still think about him all the time. How
will you be spending Veterans Day?
November 2009--Blog: Neda
Jen: Last June, Kris shared with us the protests going
on in the streets of Iran and specifically addressed the power of social networking. Kris’
post stirred something in me that had been dormant for awhile. She stirred up a focus beyond
myself and woke me up to the rest of the world. I don’t sleep in fear, have nightmares of a
war, or wake up to bombs. My life is simple and reading and hearing the news is sometimes too
much to bear. I’ll admit it I stopped listening…until I heard about
Neda...
Holli: Possibly the cutest little dancer in the world!
Hope you’re all having a fabulous Monday! If not, maybe
this adorable video will help put a smile on your face...
November 2009--Blog: Whine Flu
Kristin: Coughing, sneezing, feverish, exhausted, sore
body, sickness…flu. Since I am now a thirty year old woman, I had to take care of myself
throughout this awful illness. I am incredibly lucky that my boyfriend and some of my close
friends helped me with this, but they all had to keep going to work, much to my dismay, so
I was left to fend for myself. As I’m sure some of you will become victims of this disease,
here is some of my
most sage advice...
Jen: Just a quick little reminder if you’re in the
Eugene area check out Alton Baker Park right now! It’s beautiful and the ducks and geese
are out loving the cool, fall weather! What’s
your favorite park in your area?
Jen: As promised earlier here is the 2nd edition of the
Credit CARD Act and what it means to you! This edition focuses on youth and how the CARD act
effects marketing to youth and what lending
guidelines institutions need to follow...
Brian: A while back, the NY Times did this great piece
on frugal fun in P-Town, and I even bookmarked it for future visits. I realized that by not
sharing with everyone, I was being a greedy goose. So, in the spirit of this frugal Portland
party time and the whole sharing-is-caring theme, I wanted to offer up some of my own
frugal
Portland destinations/events/happenings/to dos...
Holli: It was the game of the year. #5 ranked USC
Trojans to take on the #10 ranked Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. USC was there to defend
their title, Oregon was ready to take a stand. In a 47 to 20 victory,
the Ducks made it
known, they are the real deal...
Thea: High time for another Northwest EATS! don't you
think? This time we focused on Eugene, Oregon. I've asked the TSNW team and the Marketing
Department of Northwest Community to share their preferred dining establishments with all of
us. Bon
Appetit!
Holli: It’s pretty much a given that we’ve all had to
tighten our belts and watch what we spend a little (or a lot) closer! With the holidays fast
approaching, we need to save when and where we can.
Why
not start with your Halloween costume?
Brian: Want to de-clutter your life? There's a pretty
easy way to get on that path of the clutterless. It’s called taking advantage of
e-statements. What
are e-statements?
Jen: As some of you may or may not know I started
school this fall (again) and to say it’s been overwhelming would be like saying the Taj
Mahal is kinda pretty (that’s a vast understatement by the way). Going back to school
as an adult has been great but it’s also been a big wake up call. There are so many
things I wish I knew. Because I can’t call my 19 year old self I hope by sharing with
all of you my list of do-overs it will help ease my frustration.
Any advice from all
y’all out there would be sooo appreciated!
Kristin: Last Saturday the great city of Albany,
Oregon held their first ever annual Mid-Valley Brew Fest and we were lucky enough to
get to be there. There were 21 different brewers present from Ninkasi to Deschutes
offering samples and full glasses of their traditional and seasonal beers.
That’s So Northwest and Northwest Community Credit Union were there bike-blending
up our version of a wine smoothie.
Wine and bananas…who knew?
October 2009--Blog: Rough Day
Brian: Things have been pretty rough out there
for many people for a while now. We hear things on the news, we hear things from our
friends. It begins to weigh on us. I like to think of myself as a pretty positive
person, but there are times lately when I feel overwhelmed and stressed. I try and
shake those blues as quickly as possible, but it’s not always easy.
When the going gets rough, how
do you cope with the stresses of life?
Kristin: Anyone can love the sunny days. It's
easy to enjoy blue skies, warm sun and dry ground, but it takes a unique individual
to appreciate the rain. Rain isn't as easy or predictable. It's the rebel of common
weather. Rain is the wild condition, the surly sister of sunshine. In honor of our
first really wet and rainy Fall day here in Eugene, I would like to share with all
of you this amazing
video of…yup…the sounds of rain...
Jen: It’s the time of year that stresses me
out more than Christmas. It’s Halloween which means I have ONE shot to carve up
a pumpkin masterpiece. You can always decorate and redecorate the tree but that
pumpkin is a one shot deal. Here are a list of websites
that offer FREE pumpkin carving stencils!
Tyler: This past Sunday I was lucky enough to
participate in the “Out of the Darkness”, an event at Alton Baker Park focused on
promoting suicide and depression awareness. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when
I was headed there, but when
I arrived...
Thea: I have been trying to take this "Economic
Crisis" as a personal challenge to fortify and fine tune my spending practices. So
I offer you some of my
tips for tightening the budget and ask you to share yours...
Brian: I realized that a few posts from this
summer deserved a little follow up. Back in early July, I committed to getting more
organized. Well, I
am happy to say that I am on the path...
Kristin: Thank you to all who shared your
amazing poems with us. My 15 celebrity judges had a very hard time picking their
favorite, commenting on how impressive they all were.
Ten
out of the fifteen chose the following...
Holli: Jack and Carol Batchelor, of Eugene,
Oregon, had relocated earlier this year to restore a beach front resort in Samoa.
They experienced the tsunami first hand and lived to tell of their heart wrenching
experience. The resort they were restoring was completely washed out. 80
percent of their employees did not survive...
Brian: I was on a lovely vacation last week, and
I did something daring. Ok, not jump out of an airplane or run with the bulls daring
(I like my life too much for that). I unplugged. There was no internet access and
my phone did not get a signal. Here’s
the view I had every day while sipping my coffee…
Jen: What is it about the outdoors, the speed,
the height, and the risk that taunts us over and over again until we give in against
all better judgment? We leave our families, our jobs, and sometimes our way of life
for the adventure. We risk losing everything we’ve been told since we were young is
important. Is it in certain peoples genetics that causes adrenaline to trump logic?
I ask myself and you all… are
these risks based on selfish needs or something that touches upon a bit of inspiration
in us?
October 2009--Pros mingle at Eugene Business-To-Business Expo on Oct. 15
Congratulations to Diane of McClure Associates! Diane won our
door prize drawing from the Business to Business Expo. We
will deliver their $50 Applebee’s gift certificate to them by noon on Monday.
(McClure Associates offer
bookkeeping, payroll and income tax preparation in the Eugene area.)
This year’s Eugene Business-To-Business
Expo, presented by the Eugene Chamber of Commerce, was held on October 15 at the Lane Events
Center. The expo featured hundreds of local professionals and business
representatives. Local business people find Eugene's B2B Expo a great opportunity to make
new connections in our community. For more information about the show, visit the
Eugene
Business-To-Business Expo website.
October 2009--Visit a branch on International Credit Union Day
On October 15 was International Credit Union Day and we
spent it celebrating YOU! Each branch had
treats and information on how credit unions make a big difference in communities all
over the world. More than 177 million people across the globe belong to a credit
union just like yours.
When you’re a credit union member, you're not just a
customer. It really is "your credit union." Banks belong to
shareholders that hope to profit from your transactions. Credit unions belong to
their members and earnings are returned to those members in the form of better rates
on loans and savings. Partner this with credit unions’ commitment to
communities and this equals a big difference in people’s lives. Read more about
how credit unions are different from banks.
Kristin: We got so many incredible, amazing,
fantabulous entries to win 2 FREE tickets to the Halloween showing of the Rocky
Horror Picture show at the Actors Cabaret! Thank you all for your entries and your
enthusiasm! So…drumroll please…
here
are the Top Five...
Thea: For me, it is a day filled with
conflicting emotions. Don't get me wrong, I care about my country and am grateful for
the privileged life I lead here. Yet, I struggle with the actual celebration of a
Federal holiday such as Columbus Day.
What
does Columbus Day actually mean?
Holli: If you’re like me and you host several
Football gatherings throughout the season, or if you’re the hardcore tailgating
type- here are some
of the greatest Football foods for you and yours...
Tyler: So about a month ago I gave out a list
of some upcoming concerts I thought would be worth looking into. Last Friday I went
to see this band Toubab Krewe at the Wow Hall and realized I forgot to put them on
the list. Here’s
a video of them...
Brian: I’m getting ready to go on vacation, and
part of my journey will take me outside of the United States. I wanted to share some
of my tips on handling your money when you are outside of the United States.
Have
a travel tip to share?
Kristin: We here at TSNW have decided to
celebrate the seasons in a creative and enthusiastic way...by having our very own
Poetry Slam of sorts. We have TWO tickets to give away for the live Halloween
performance of the Rocky Horror Show at the Actors Cabaret in downtown Eugene.
Submit for our judgment your
finest poem or haiku about Autumn, Halloween, etc...
Holli: Fall is finally here! If you’re in the
Northwest that means the rainy season is upon us! Recently, I have been on the hunt
for some fierce rain boots. In my search, I found a few fabulous sites that offer
fashionable
rain gear...
Thea: The Longhouse at Lane Community College
(LCC) is nearing completion. The building is up, but the inside needs some help. Like
plumbing, interior finish and technology hook-ups. The Lane Community College
Longhouse Committee in conjunction with the University of Oregon's (UO) Many Nations
Longhouse is hosting a benefit
concert...