Some St. Cloud-area Residents Recently Received Attempted Scam Phone Call

Online Security – Scam Attempt - (7-14-14)

Some St. Cloud-area Residents Recently Received Attempted Scam Phone Call – Our Advice = Just Hang Up!

St. Cloud area residents reported recently that they received a phone call from an automated system claiming there is a problem with their "card" – implying that their debit or credit card had been cancelled, rendered inactive, etc. -- and instructing them to "press 1". No credit union or bank was mentioned in the recorded message. This appears to be an attempt to get the recipient of the call to reveal personal information. At St. Cloud Federal Credit Union, we do not use any type of automated call system, and we do not ask members for account information, which we already have on hand. The best thing a person can do when confronted by this type of phone call is to simply hang up. The scammers in this case are not calling a specific person. These automated call systems simply call numbers in a particular geographic area until someone answers. And then the scammers hope someone will give them their sensitive information, such as Social Security Number, account numbers, etc.

A Message From Our New President/CEO

St. Cloud Federal Credit Union has a rich tradition of taking care of its members and making a difference in our community. I am both humbled and honored to have been named your next President and CEO and I look forward to serving our members, our employees, and our community for many years to come. Our credit union is a cooperative, and I want you – our members – to be proud to be a part of it. Our credit union was founded on the premise of “people helping people”, and I personally cannot think of a better job than to lead a company where people trump profit, where the profit is given back to the people, and where everything our organization generates stays right here in our local community rather than being shipped off to Minneapolis or San Francisco. I hope you are as proud to be a member of our cooperative as I am to be its new leader! So you may ask, what can we do to make our credit union stronger? Well, the answer to that is quite simple…

our members and their participation.

As a credit union, it is our job to relentlessly strive to offer products and services that will better your financial life. It is our hope that when we are successful with this, you – as a member and owner of this credit union – will participate with us and utilize us for all your financial needs. When you make the choice to invest in your credit union, you have my absolute commitment that you will be well taken care of. The stronger our credit union becomes, the more we can give back to you as members and the more we can give back to our communities.


I look forward to partnering with the membership and the staff to continue to make St. Cloud Federal Credit Union a great place for our members to bank, a great place for our employees to work, and a credit union we all can be proud of!

Sincerely,

Jed A. Meyer

President/CEO

Casual For A Cause Funds Donated To Young Learners Program After Roosevelt Fire

(7-1-14) Casual For A Cause Funds Donated To Young Learners Program After Roosevelt Fire: Late Saturday night, June 14, lightning struck Roosevelt Early Childhood Center in St. Cloud, where The Young Learners Program (YLP) is housed. The majority of the building was engulfed in flames, and within hours the entire building was deemed a total loss. No injuries occurred, but every piece of property inside was destroyed. As staff work to create a temporary space for programming, they are in need of many new/gently used and clean items that are used in their programs.

The Young Learners Program (YLP) is an Intensive Outpatient Day Treatment program (part of Catholic Charities) that provides mental health and educational programming for children age 3-6, located in St Cloud. The YLP provides services to children with a mental health diagnosis and who qualify for Special Education services. They provide the child with individual, group, and family therapy to help the child effectively function at home, school and in the community, as well as address the relationships within the family.

The staff of St. Cloud Federal Credit Union donated $300 from their “Casual For A Cause” funds to help YLP restore their program. “Casual For A Cause” is a program started by our staff to raise funds for the needs of our local communities. On the last Friday of every month, employees can dress in everyday casual attire if they donate at least $5.00 to Casual For A Cause. The funds are used as needed during the year. Some recent recipients have included Veterans Stand Down program; Catholic Charities Back-to-School drive, Young Learners Program, and mattress purchase program; Ruff Start Animal Rescue; Treats for Troops.

Affordable Summer Fun in Central Minnesota

Howdy folks, Financial Fitness Phoebe here, hoping this finds all of you happily soaking in this elusive season called summer!

Here at St. Cloud Federal Credit Union, our focus is on helping you save your pennies while getting the most out of life. And frankly, at times, it can seem like everything fun costs money.

Well, central Minnesotans, during the summer months, that’s not completely true. Our area is teeming, week in and week out, with a ton of highly affordable community events and activities perfect for the whole family.

Today, we’ll give you a rundown of a few things to put on the calendar this summer!

SUMMERTIME BY GEORGE

Since it’s inception in 2011, Summertime By George has continuously thousands of people into the center of St. Cloud on Wednesday evenings for live music from beloved local musicians, food from area restaurants and vendors, handmade arts and crafts, and a whole lot more. The weekly outdoor festival happens each week through August at Eastman Park, more commonly known as Lake George.

If you haven’t attended one of these yet, not only are you missing out, but you’re rapidly becoming a minority! Last year’s final Summertime by George night pulled in a whopping 13,000 attendees. We figure this many people can’t be wrong - and at no cost, it’s well worth your while to explore Summertime by George! 

MUSIC IN THE GARDENS

Here’s another regular musical outing in a lovely Mississippi River-side setting. Music in the Gardens brings talented musicians together every other Sunday afternoon near the Gazebo in Munsinger Gardens. Like Summertime by George, the tunes are free - and if you’re feeling decadent, you can snag a root beer float for a buck! 

BENTON COUNTY FAIR

There are a ton of fairs to visit around central Minnesota, but for our purposes, let’s talk about the one closest to the St. Cloud metro area - the Benton County Fair. This is the highlight of summer for a lot of people, and it’s not hard to see why. The fair, held from August 5-10 at the fairgrounds in Sauk Rapids, has something for everyone: barns full of fun and prize-winning animals, great, classic fair food from local vendors, a talent show, live music and a beer garden in the evening and, of course, the fairway. Yes, we know the fair can take a chunk out of the wallet, so budget a little cash for the goodies. And remember - there’s no charge to walk around and people-watch! :) 

QUARRY PARK

We here in central Minnesota have something not everyone has - easy access to beautiful, natural places. One of these is the perennially popular Quarry Park and Nature Preserve.

As far as county parks go, it doesn’t get much better. The 684-acre preserve features a Granite reflecting pool, many miles’ worth of biking and hiking paths, some seriously fun trout fishing, and, of course, the beloved swimming holes that brave souls in our community leap into from high places! All you need is a day pass to cover the whole family - or, if you’re thinking about making a return appearance, you can snag an annual permit for the cool price of $16. 

Well, that’s our short list of things to keep you busy - and in the black - this summer. And we want to know - what’s your favorite central Minnesota activity for summertime? Leave us a comment and let us know! Enjoy the season, everyone!