People Helping People, UECU-Style

People Helping People is more than just a philosophy.

It is part of UECU's employee experience all year long. While we support local organizations with our personal and corporate gifts, we also get to know the organizations we support and the people they serve by "getting out there."

It is one thing (and an important one!) to give financially to help further the work of important services and organizations in our community. It just means so much more when we join in the effort personally.

However, UECU's community goes far beyond just our geographical hometown. We are equally connected to the utility and energy industry nationwide. It is simply part of UECU's DNA and we look forward to opportunities to travel and participate in events where they gather and celebrate the work they do. We enjoy celebrating with them!

Today we talk with Dawn Pavlick and Kaitlin Keck, two UECU staff members who help lead our charge for giving and volunteering in our community and beyond. Press "play" and you'll see just how much "People Helping People" really means to us.

Topics & Timing

(0:37) Today’s discussion is out UECU’s commitment to our community, through direct employee involvement and support as well as the organization’s outreach and sponsorship of local and industry-related causes and events.

(1:10) Meet our guests, and Janene’s UECU co-workers: Dawn Pavlick, Loan Processing Manager & Co-Chair of the Employee Volunteer Program Committee, and Kaitlyn Keck, Business Development Specialist & Chair of our United Way Committee.

(2:18) The credit union industry’s collective philosophy is “People Helping People.”

(2:45) That philosophy was a natural outcome of the credit union industry’s creation to meet the post-depression-era need for personal and small business banking services left unmet during that tumultuous time.

(4:12) If the motto of the industry is “People Helping People,” then our goal is to do more than just offering banking services. We also want to make a difference.

(5:05) Get to know Kaitlin and Dawn, how they came to be part of the UECU team and the things that make them happy outside of the workday.

(8:30) UECU’s history of supporting our local United Way of Berks County.

(8:52) UECU has been financially supporting United Way since 1996, encouraging employees to help meet our community’s needs.

(10:23) Overview of United Way of Berks County: they support over 30 non-profit agencies that meet direct community needs. The majority of the work they do is managed by volunteers and is the direct result of community assessments, often responding to needs that arise quickly, like Covid’s affect on personal finances that increased needs for food and housing, and more.

(13:01) Another value of United Way is the opportunity to provide a credible option for general community giving, for those individuals who want to give but don’t know who to support.

(14:35) How does the UECU team support United Way specifically? 10 staff are currently on the United Way Committee. That’s 10% of UECU staff!

(15:20) UECU is currently in the top 50 United Way of Berks County Business Supporters (31st).

(15:50) The United Way committee at UECU holds monthly fundraisers and events to raise funds to put toward our annual campaign gift, and to provide ongoing awareness of United Way and the great work they do.

(18:00) Overview of our experiences during the annual fall United Way fundraising campaign, and how that’s not the beginning and the end of UECU’s work to support United Way.

(19:44) UECU as an organization supports and encourages UECU campaign giving with unique gifts that employees enjoy, such as give-a-day, get-a-day where UECU gives employees a day of PTO if they pledge an annual gift equal or more than a single day of pay…and so much more.

(21:23) The annual campaign raffle is one way that the...