News & Articles
Saskatoon CU hosts international visitor as part of mentoring program
Shelly Marapuala
Shelly Marapuala from Botswana is spending the next week with the staff of Affinity Credit Union in Saskatoon. She is one of 14 women currently in Canada as part of the Canadian Co-operative Associations Women’s Mentoring Program.
For the past 10 years more than 200 Canadian credit unions and 150 women from the developing world’s credit unions have participated in this program. They learn leadership skills and the ins-and-outs of day to day credit union operations.
Shelly is an accountant/assistant manager at her credit union in Botswana. Members of the credit union are employees of a mining company. She supervises six people and she wants to improve her managerial skills as well as her computer, communication and time management skills. She will spend May 10-20 with Affinity staff enhancing her skills so that she can encourage credit union members to become more loyal.
As well as helping Shelly with her training needs, the mentoring program engages Canadian credit union staff in a learning opportunity which supports the sixth co-operative principle – “Co-operation among co-operatives”. They learn first-hand about the challenges credit union staff face in a less developed country and share their skills and knowledge to help. In this year, 2012, of the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives, the women’s mentoring program is a perfect example of why co-operatives are so important in the global economy, says Laurie Tennian, Canadian Co-operative Association’s Women’s Mentoring Program manager. “Whether you are in Saskatoon or Botswana, the co-operative principles are the same. The mentoring program really drives that home and I think our Canadian and international partners recognize that the same principles and values are the foundation of the growth and success of our co-operatives.”
Core funding for this program is provided by the Partnership Program of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The staff and leaders of Canadian credit unions volunteer their time and the credit unions themselves often contribute training materials, local transportation and accommodation. Canada’s credit union managers look forward to sharing their experiences with overseas counterparts, and to learning about credit union operations from around the world. The mentoring program includes two weeks of training in Ottawa, before the women are placed in credit unions across the country. After their placements, they return to Ottawa for a week of review and reflection. To learn more about the program and its past participants, go to http://www.coopscanada.coop/en/international_dev/CCA_International_Programs/Women-Mentorship-Program
For more information, please contact Linda Moulin, linda.moulin@Affinitycu.ca, Serese Selanders, Serese.Selanders@Affinitycu.ca or Joan Yonkman, Joan.Yonkman@Affinitycu.ca or Laurie Tennian, Canadian Co-operative Association, laurie.tennian@coopscanada.coop
2012 International Year of Co-operatives
Proud to be a Co-operative!
The United Nations has proclaimed 2012 the International Year of Co-operatives. In Canada, national IYC efforts are being led in partnership by the Canadian Co-operative Association, the Conseil canadien de la coopération et de la mutualité and the Government of Canada.
Check out these sites to find out more!
http://www.coopscanada.coop/en/orphan/International-Year-of-the-Co-operative-F-A-Q-
http://www.canada2012.coop/
The Garden Patch Project - Growing with the Community
The 2012 growing season at The Garden Patch kicked off Wednesday, April 18th with a press conference on the very soil where good foods will soon grow.
Myrna Hewitt, Senior VP of Marketing & Research of Affinity Credit Union, joined the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre and His Worship Mayor Don Atchison in announcing commitment to help ‘grow’ with the community.
Myrna spoke on behalf of all Saskatoon co-operatives and credit unions to announce their partnership in volunteering and participating in the project. This collaborative effort exemplifies the sprit of this special year, the 2012 International Year of Co-operatives.
Employees and elected officials of all credit unions and co-operatives in Saskatoon are invited to participate in this unique and meaningful volunteer initiative which will be launched during the Co-operative Week of Volunteering, May 28 to June 3. As a co-operative group we will volunteer our time and effort to make a difference in our community by adopting a significant plot at the community garden patch.
Our commitment to this project will go beyond the Co-operative Week of Volunteering. We will be responsible to create a garden that will provide nutritious and fresh produce for local families – from planting to harvest and everything in between.
We wish the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre well in their efforts and look forward to working with them as proud co-operative employees to change the lives of people in our community – throughout this project – and every day.
Spring 2012 Member Newsletter
Click here to view the latest Member Newsletter in the Media Centre.
Affinity Executive - 2012 United Way Community Campaign Chair
We are proud to announce that Linda Moulin, Affinity Credit Union's Chief Governance Officer, is the 2012 Community Campaign Chair for the United Way of Saskatoon. Linda is committed to community economic development and has been a strong supporter of the United Way for many years. To learn more about Linda, click here.
Shelwin House Donation
Instead of exchanging gifts at their Christmas party this year, staff from Kamsack, Norquay, Pelly, Togo and Lintlaw each bought a new toy and donated them to Shelwin House in Yorkton which offers emergency shelter for women and their children.
Equity Building Program
His Worship Mayor Donald Atchison, and Mark Lane, Chief Operating Officer of Affinity Credit Union today celebrated the launch of an innovative new housing program called the Equity Building Program. In an ongoing effort to meet the needs of today's potential home owners, The City of Saskatoon, in partnership with Affinity Credit Union, launched the Equity Building Program with the aim of assisting low to moderate income households in moving from rental accommodations to home ownership.
Recent statistics indicate that many moderate income (household income between $44,500 and $70,000) households in Saskatoon are now dedicating 40% of their pre-tax household income towards shelter costs. This is approximately 8% higher than the standard permitted by private lending institutions. The aim of the Equity Building Program is to assist moderate income households in moving from rental accommodations to home ownership. The Program is designed to allow eligible applicants to access market financing from a private lending institution, and to target moderate-income working individuals and families to purchase a dwelling for homeownership.
Supporting 250 households over a five year period, the program will allow eligible households to purchase a home (includes all forms of housing in any part of the city) ranging in value from $220,000 to $280,000. The program will assist the homeowner with the down payment requirement by providing assistance of approximately $12,000 per unit.
“The City of Saskatoon is pleased to invest in the Equity Building Program to help people with modest incomes become homeowners in a time of rising house prices,” said His Worship Mayor Donald Atchison.
“We are delighted to create more accessible homeownership opportunities for our members. Community investment is one of the socially responsible ways we do business and together with the City we are contributing to stronger, healthier communities,” added Mark Lane, Chief Operating Officer of Affinity Credit Union.
To support the program, the City of Saskatoon will invest $3 million with the Affinity Credit Union. The program is expected to support 50 eligible applicants per year over a period of five years with an average down payment of $12,000.
For further information, contact:
|
Alan Wallace |
TeleService |
Celebrating Our Community Partners
Carol Cisecki (right), Labour Community Representative, Affinity Credit Union
Affinity Credit Union was proud to host a reception in the Affinity Gallery of Saskatchewan Craft Council. This was a celebration of Affinity’s 52 Saskatoon partners and the difference they make in the community every day.
The list of community partners and the good work they do is diverse. Some of the partners are the: Canadian Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, John Howard Society, Ness Creek Music Festival, Oskayak High School, READ Saskatoon, Saskatoon Downtown Youth Centre – EGADZ, Saskatoon Zoo Foundation and Tamara's House.
Affinity is proud of its community partners.
Working TOGETHER to Fight Fraud
At Affinity Credit Union, we take our members’ security very seriously. That’s why we are taking the following steps to further protect you and your money:
- Enhanced card security with Chip technology.
- New ATM machines.
- Adjusting limits on ATM withdrawals.
- Adjusting limits on Point of Sale purchases.
- Verifying all ATM deposits before funds can be accessed.
What you can do to reduce the risk of potential card fraud:
- Keep your eye on your card when conducting a point-of-sale transaction, and only allow your card to be swiped once.
- Ensure the cashier does not take your card out of your sight in order to process your transaction.
- Be cautious if you are asked to swipe your card through more than one machine.
- If you suspect anything unusual or suspicious about an ATM or point-of-sale terminal do not use the machine and report it to your the financial institution immediately. Pay particular attention to any piece of equipment that appears removable.
- Be alert. If someone is watching you or makes you feel uncomfortable, cancel the transaction.
- Check your transaction records against your financial statements regularly. If you detect any unusual activity, contact your financial institution immediately.
By working TOGETHER we can reduce the risk of card fraud.
Affinity Credit Union Wins Community Involvement Award
Affinity Credit Union is the winner of this year’s Community Involvement Award presented by Saskatoon Awards for Business Excellence (SABEX).
The award was presented at the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce Celebrate Success! Gala held at TCU Place on May 18th.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Credit Union was Senior Vice President Corporate Development, Linda Moulin. She said: “This is a prestigious award and an honour for our Credit Union. It recognizes our commitment to community partnerships and the tremendous work staff do to help our members and communities thrive and prosper.”
Affinity Credit Union invested $1.3 million in contributions to community development and corporate citizenship in 2010 and its 610 employees spent 24,920 hours volunteering: an economic value of $604,310.
“As a locally-owned financial cooperative, we take pride in making a difference in people’s lives. We are socially responsible and support our community financially through sponsorships, donations, and non-traditional loans, and through employee voluntary work in a variety of ways to create positive change,” added Moulin.
“Time and again, we hear glowing accounts of the positive impact that our community development programs have had on individuals and families throughout Saskatchewan, particularly in the areas of affordable housing, health, learning and education, environment, arts and culture and community building. The dedicated employees, and elected officials at Affinity Credit Union make all the difference!"
Affinity Credit Union is the second largest credit union in Saskatchewan and aims to be the financial institution of choice. It offers access to a complete range of financial services including insurance and wealth management products to over 95,000 members through a network of 44 branches in 36 communities across the province.