A grand, gold chandelier hangs from the ceiling in the welcoming lobby of Sabattus Regional Credit Union, which is currently going through a positive transition. This includes welcoming back Tiffiny Stewart, a former vice president who has now returned as the executive vice president.
“Tiffiny Stewart coming back is huge for us,” said CEO Michelle Firczak. “She’s very well liked in the community. A lot of people know her and her main priority is the membership.” SRCU’s membership is currently around 4,300 members; the Credit Union serves Sabattus and 16 other surrounding towns and communities.
Stewart is not the only staffer familiar to members, as several employees of the credit union’s core staff have been working there for more than 15 years. The friendly, familial environment and personal relationships between staff and members are a benefit of banking at the credit union.
“At a credit union you’re not a customer, you’re a member, you’re part owner,” explained Firczak. “You also vote for the board of directors who are serving in the best interest of the members.” The directors are not paid and take on the responsibility “out of civic duty to the community,” Firczak said. “We have a great board working with us right now.”
Competitive services
The board and management team are working hard to keep their rates competitive. They also strive to keep up with the technological needs of their members, such as online banking. Shared branching allows members to conduct their banking business at participating credit unions around the state and the country, making traveling or sending money to loved ones very simple. SRCU is also part of the Surf Network, one of more than 200 Maine credit unions ATM that don’t charge fees to credit union members. All of these services make banking with SRCU an easy and enjoyable experience.
Community ties and education
SRCU stays linked with its local community. The credit union works with local food banks and backpack programs to help combat chronic hunger in our local area. SRCU likes to work with other local credit unions to offer a Financial Fitness program to many of the local high schools, which walks high school students through a day in the financial life of a 25-year-old who has to make student loan payments and pay for car repairs and other life expenses. They also provide financial booklets to Oak Hill High School to help with their financial education. The credit union is committed to helping younger and older people learn about finances. The staff is also working on programs for younger children to promote a lifetime of fiscal fitness and long-term membership.
“Sometimes we’ll have a member whose spouse has passed away, and they’ve never written a check before or taken care of the finances,” said Firczak. “We will sit down with them and teach them the basics and encourage them to come back so we can help them balance their first checkbook statement.” It’s an experience you won’t likely find at a big bank. It is beneficial to the member and rewarding for the staff member involved.
“Our motto is ‘we’re here for you,’” Firczak said. “We’re always working for the members.”