Back to School Giveaway

At Members First Credit Union, we LOVE teachers! We know, doesn’t everyone? Teachers hold a particularly special place in our hearts. In 1936, our credit union was created when the Teachers’ Club of Midland County invested $50 towards the start of a cooperative. Donald Benfer, a passionate teacher, offered his junior high classroom as our first credit union office. Even as our mission expanded, our commitment to honoring our roots as a teachers’ credit union remained the same.

Throughout the years, the credit union has committed to investing in teachers and students through donations and volunteer efforts. To name a few, we have:

• provided backto-school supplies for students
• offered scholarships for parents to better afford preschool
• hired coop high school students to work in-branch as a first-time work experience
• sponsored many school teams and clubs, and
• provided educational material for our youth account members
• financial reality fairs
• swinging for scholarships

Even before the pandemic began, research from the American School & University Magazine found that Michigan ranked last in state funding growth for public education. On average, teachers spend $745 out of their own pockets on classroom supplies. Additionally, according to a survey from AdoptAClassroom.org, teachers reported an increase in spending since the pandemic began. This included purchasing necessary software and technology, printing material from their own home, and mailing or driving learning resources to students.

Research from the University of Michigan is also now telling us that the mental and educational well-being of teachers, students, and parents is more fragile as they return to the classroom. In some cases, more than 500 days have passed since a student has participated in in-person learning! Our teachers need our help more than ever to provide a safe and stable environment for their students to learn and grow.

In order to facilitate a thriving learning environment as teachers welcome students back, we want to work alongside our teachers to customize their classrooms for years to come. No matter what the school year looks like this year, the success of our local school districts is important to Members First.

We want to help make this upcoming transition as easy as possible for teachers and students, so Members First is hosting a social media giveaway for our local teachers! Visit Members First Credit Union’s Facebook page to nominate a teacher for a $500 gift card to prepare their classroom for the upcoming school year. Tell us about the teacher you know who could use $500. (and tag them if they are on facebook!) Tag a teacher (or yourself) in our post and make sure to include a comment with all of the amazing things you love about this teacher,

We all have a favorite teacher. One who shaped our future or one who makes our child excited about their learning journey. Now is your chance to say ‘thanks’ to the teachers in your life and allow us to invest in their success!