Get the latest news, straight from SESLOC CEO Geri LaChance
If we had 20/20 perfect vision, we might have skipped to the year 2021. Never have we seen more disruption to life on a daily basis and to how we socialize. It is the ultimate irony that in 2019 we couldn’t allow you to cover your face or head while conducting business in the branch. And now in 2020, with the order from the state of California, we are are requiring masks to be worn. We greatly appreciate your mutual consideration of others.
So much has happened in the last few months—almost every SESLOC member has been impacted from the pandemic, the swift collapse of the economy and the strain of social unrest due to inequality. The cooperative philosophy of credit unions has always supported the notion of equality for all members: one member, one vote, one voice. There are no stockholders. Our earnings are used to keep rates competitive and fees low, and to provide financial access to all.
This note is being written on March 25, and the one thing I know is that our situation will likely be different the day you are reading this. News and caution regarding the COVID-19 pandemic has grown and changed every day. These are unsettling times that we haven’t experienced before.
Happy New Year! Can you believe we just entered into a new decade? As I reflect on the past 10 years, it has been filled with many changes in the credit union industry. All banks and credit unions were recovering from The Great Recession in the early years of the last decade as well as responding to new regulations being imposed on institutions.
I’d like to start by saying thank you for your generous support throughout August to help raise funds for Jack’s Helping Hand, a local nonprofit that offers programs for special needs children and their families. Over the last five years, you’ve contributed over $35,000 to help build the Jack Ready Imagination Park, a universally accessible playground where special needs children can play along-side able-bodied children in a safe, sunny environment. It was truly an honor to walk into our branches and see the walls covered with handprints as a display of your support.
We’re halfway through 2019 and what an exciting year it has been. Your credit union posted its highest month of loan fundings in April at $25 million. Your credit union is in good financial health, and we are helping to make living on the Central Coast more attainable and enjoyable for our members—whether it be financing a car, a new home or a college education. Thank you to our new and existing members for bringing it home to SESLOC.
As we head into the second quarter—putting the Central Coast’s much needed above-average rainfall behind us—we’re looking forward to the vigor and vitality of spring. You’ll enjoy new services that focus on convenience, ease-of-use and maximum access to your credit union. You may have already seen the self check-in kiosk in the branches or even booked an appointment online, both of which reduce your wait time.
This past December marked my seventh year as CEO with SESLOC, and I’m probably still seen as the “new CEO” in the eyes of some! When I arrived in late 2011, all banks and credit unions were recovering from the damage of the great recession.
We partner with GreenPath Financial Wellness to offer unbiased, empathetic, one-on-one financial advisement to our members. GreenPath’s certified credit counselors offer free assistance with budgeting, general financial wellness, debt counseling, foreclosure prevention and support, and student loan payment. GreenPath also offers a Debt Management Program where they negotiate with creditors on behalf of members enrolled in the program to reduce interest rates and help them repay debts faster. In 2021, GreenPath’s certified counselors assisted 8 SESLOC members with a combined $161,488 in debt pay off $55,656 through the program — that’s a reduction of outstanding debt by 34% in under a year!
SESLOC members are saving — and winning! Since the program launched, more than $20,000 in prizes have been awarded.
80 years of People & Place. 1 Year of Absolute Awesome.
As we celebrate our 80th anniversary, we’re building a more sustainable community for the next 80 years by doing 80 local acts that have a global impact.
We’ve asked our incredible staff to nominate their favorite 501-(c)(3)-designated organizations. Here are the eight groups we’ve selected for December:
