Back to School Safety Tips! For Drivers, Children and Parents

Now that summer is coming to an end it's time to prepare ourselves and our children for back to school. Meaning that, drivers need to slow down and pay attention. It is important to obey all signs, safety patrol and officers when passing a school zone. These safety precautions are intended to keep the driver and the children safe from accidents. Parents, it is up to you to remind your children about traffic safety and exiting/entering the school bus safely. By following these simple tips, we can all ensure that children arrive to and from school safe and sound.

Drivers:

• When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
• When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.
• Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in neighborhood.
• Slow down. Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
• Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street with out looking for traffic.
• Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state. Learn the "flashing signal light system" that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:

• Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
  
• Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again

Children: 

• Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
• When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street.
• Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it's okay before stepping onto the bus.
• If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver.
• Use the handrails to avoids falls. When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing with drawstrings, and book bags with straps don't get caught in the handrails or doors.
• Never walk behind the bus.
• Walk at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus.
• If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see you.

 

Parents:

• Teach children to follow these common sense practices to make school bus transportation safer. 

source: http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/buses/kidsschoolbus_en.html

Are YOU the Next Young & Free Maine Spokester?

The search for the NEXT Young & Free Maine Spokester has begun! Do you have what it takes to be a Spokesperson? If you’re 18 to 25 years old, media savvy, creative, REALLY like blogging and making videos… then this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

Imagine a job where the most important thing you have to do, is be YOU! Of course, there are many other perks of being a Y&F Spokester!

• A 10 month term with a $25,000 contract salary
• An Apple® MacBook Pro notebook computer loaded up with Adobe® Creative Suite software
• An HD video camera with mic and accessories
• An iPhone with a paid contract
• The use of a car to get around to events

With these tools you’ll be the voice of young individuals all around Maine; Encouraging and reinforcing the positive Credit Union message.  

 Click here for job descriptions, entry requirements, official rules and how to enter! 

 

One OUTSTANDING Campaign!

During 2012 the Lisbon Credit Union participated in the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger. We are delighted to announce that the 67 participating credit unions raised an astonishing $471,744.42 to help end hunger in Maine. We are honored to have been part of this record-setting accomplishment. It's hard to believe that even during a time of financial crisis, we are able to join forces and produce impressive results. Compassion, and the simple philosophy of people helping people really pulled through in this time of need.

Statistics show that Maine is the number one state in New England that is currently food insecure. This is an issue that falls heavily on our hearts. However, thanks to the dedication of Maine's credit unions, our loyal staff and the generous people of Maine we are one big step closer to diminishing this unfortunate problem.

The Maine Ending Hunger Campaign has been active since 1990. "Credit Unions have now raised $4.8 Million for the campaign." The most rewarding aspect of this achievement is the guarantee that 100% of the funds raised go directly to food pantries and hunger organizations across Maine.

We look forward to the successful future this campaign has in store for Maine. We would like to end this note with a big THANK YOU to everyone who so kindly donated to this cause. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

Simply Remarkable

Our 2011 Social Responsibility campaign was simply remarkable!

During the first half of the year, the Credit Union raised funds for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. Each member of our 14-person team took and active role in the fight against cancer by walking laps around the Brunswick High School track—for 16 hours! With various fundraisers such as a bake sale, a car wash, employee dress down days and more, the team was able to raise an incredible $6,440—become the second highest fundraising team of the 2011 event!

The second half of the year was dominated by our Ending Hunger campaign. The funds raise during this campaign will be directly donated to the Lisbon Area Christian Outreach (LACO) at our Annual Meeting in March. Fundraisers included Member Appreciation Day raffles of an Adirondack chair and our Moxie Float lighthouse, a LACO bake sale, Lisbon’s Chili & Chowder Challenge and our annual Holiday Basket Raffle.  Due to our efforts, over $3,020 will be donated to LACO.

In the end, we are pleased to report that over $9,460 was contributed to our Social Responsibility campaign in 2011. The entire Credit Union would like to extent a special thank you to those Members who contributed to some, or perhaps all, of these fundraisers. Your generosity is very much appreciated. It is a critical goal of the Credit Union to support the various communities that we serve. Here’s to another successful fundraising year in 2012.

Building Futures. Preserving Dreams.

Free Debit Cards

Over the past month, there has been quite a bit of publicity about debit cards in the national media. The attention has resulted from a recent announcement that a large national bank will begin charging their customers a monthly fee of $5 for using their debit card. Other large banks have been considering this strategy so there may be more that come forward in the future.

This is a great opportunity for the Lisbon Credit Union to share the benefits of our VISA Debit Card program. If you have a checking account with us, you’re eligible for a debit card that can be used for both point of sale transactions and ATM withdrawals. Here’s the best part—regardless if you use your card once per month or 100 times per month, there is NO monthly fee. Also, you can make ATM withdrawals with your card at over 200 SURF Network locations across Maine for FREE!

The $5 debit card fee may not seem high now but consider the cost over time--$60 per year and $300 over 5 years. That’s a lot of money! Please spread the word about our free debit cards and if you don’t currently have a checking account, contact a Member Service Representative today to make it happen. For more information on our debit card program, click here.

Building Futures. Preserving Dreams.

Young & Free Maine Explained

With a few months under his belt, the Young & Free Maine Spokester Seth Poplaski has been quite busy traveling around the state to promote the benefits of Maine’s Credit Unions. He has trekked as far north as Fort Fairfield to attend the Potato Blossom Festival and as far south as Sanford to watch the Sanford Mainers baseball team. Seth also has hit a bunch of other events in between—to promote the great new checking account called Free4ME.

Wherever he goes, Seth makes a record on the Young & Free Maine website by either writing a blog post or creating a video. We wanted to share some of those great blog posts and video that he has posted thus far in the program. Enjoy!

Blog Posts:

• Those Pesky Bank Fees
• Gift Cards at a Discount
• Saving Money on your Cell Phone Bill

Videos:

• NMCC 50^th Anniversary

• What is Shared Branching?

• Road Trip Tips

Building Futures. Preserving Dreams.

Looking for a Winter Vehicle?

The official end of summer is coming soon. In fact, some parts of the state have already experienced a frost warning—how crazy is that? Although we don’t want to admit it, Old Man Winter will arrive soon. For some of you, buying a winter vehicle is on the top of your priority list. To make your purchase fast and convenient, consider using one of our Pre-Approved Loan Drafts!

The process is simple. We’ll take your application and pre-approve you up to a certain amount, lock you into a great low rate and give you a blank check to go shopping with. This tool will allow you to go to a dealership and negotiate the best price for you. The check and rate are good for 60 days.

Remember…winter’s coming! Let us make your transition to a new vehicle easy and enjoyable with a Loan Draft.  Our Loan Officers are standing by to answer any questions you may have so feel free to contact us.

Building Futures. Preserving Dreams.