Camarillo Branch Grand Opening
We were thrilled to welcome so many community members to our Camarillo branch Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on August 18.
Our brightly colored new branch was the perfect backdrop for an event that brought together members, community leaders and important groups that support our community.
Following the ribbon cutting, we were honored to present a $75,000 donation to El Concilio Family Services as part of our #75YearsGiveback initiative. Founded in 1974, this organization has provided direct assistance and educational programs to the local underserved Latino community. They are currently serving over 24,000 clients per year.
We also want to share a big thank you to the City of Camarillo, the West Ventura County Business Alliance, and other community friends and partners for joining us at this special event.
And if you haven’t already, be sure to stop by our new branch at 520 Arneil Road.
First-generation Scholarship Awarded
It’s special and significant being the first member of a family to graduate from college. And we are honored to be a part of fulfilling this dream for a second time.
Congratulations to Daniel Narvaez-Abril, this year’s recipient of our First-generation Scholarship to California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI). His passion? Finance and Business, with dreams of running a hotel, working for a major company, or maybe even becoming a CEO one day!
This four-year CSUCI scholarship is available to all local high school seniors who would be the first in their family to attend a four-year university pursuing business, finance, economics, environmental science or resource management majors.
In 2024, nearly 60% of students at CSUCI were first generation college attendees. We’re proud to be supporting this life-changing initiative.
Budget-friendly Holiday Tips
When the pumpkin patches pop up, the holidays can’t be far off. Like everything in life, holiday shopping is always better with a plan, so let’s get ready together.
Look back before you start
A great place to start is checking what last year’s holiday costs were. Log into your VCCU Digital Banking and take a look at your statements from last October through January. Scan through them to jot down roughly what you spent for gifts, holiday travel, and stocking stuffers. Now you have a pretty clear idea of what to plan for.
Watch your financial dashboard
It might seem easiest to just spend now and figure it out later, but it isn’t the smart way. Our Digital Banking lets you easily monitor your spending in real-time so you see how you’re doing and can cool the spending if it’s overheating your monthly budget.
Plan ahead for the best value
If you’re planning to travel to see family and friends over the holidays, make that decision sooner. This gives you more travel choices and lets you secure the best ticket prices. Check our 7 Tips For a Happy Holiday and a Happy Budget article.
A discount is in the cards for you
If your holiday plans include a specific restaurant or local vendors, check stores like Costco to see if they have discount cash cards for those companies. You typically save about 20% by using these cards instead of paying cash at the merchant. Also, the holidays are a great time to put to use cards you already have. Make a list of them along with their balances and use those to buy gifts. Check out this article with more ideas on curbing holiday spending.
If you need a loan, look to us for best value
Our credit cards or personal loan rates are significantly lower than store cards and without the risks that come with Buy Now Pay Later schemes. Apply online anytime or talk to one of our holiday helper loan experts.
Friends are rewarding
Your chance to win $750 quarterly
One of the ways we’re celebrating 75 years of service is by offering you a chance to win $750 for referring family, friends, co-workers and neighbors.
When your referral opens a qualifying account, you’re both entered in our quarterly $750 drawing. The more referrals, the more chances to win.
Start referring now and good luck!
Meet the winners so far
Congratulations to our first and second quarter winners. We hope to feature you here next quarter.
Q1 Winners Elva and Lee
Q2 winners Margarita and Christopher
Celebrating 75 with you
A summer of fun events and $150,000 in donations as we continue to celebrate 75 years of serving you.
Member Movie Night
On July 12, we hosted our first-ever Member Movie Night at our headquarters under the summer stars. The Trolls movie had attendees in stitches, and we also supplied all the essentials for fun, including popcorn, bubble machines, face painting, a live DJ, treats and more. Check out highlights from the night here:
We took this opportunity to present another #75YearsGiveback $75,000 donation to Reel Guppy Outdoors to help their ongoing mission to empower and inspire youth and their families with education and personal development through fishing and nature conservation.
Member Soccer Night
We had a ball at our August 9 Member Soccer Night where our Ventura County FC (VCFC) faced off against the Portland Timbers. We celebrated with a special mini soccer ball giveaway and fun soccer swag. Before the match, we awarded four tickets each to these lucky members:
- John B.
- Josie P.
- Joaquin V.
- Stephanie C.
- Willard L.
During the event, we presented a $75,000 donation to Community Action of Ventura County as part of our #75YearsGiveBack. This local non-profit does incredible work lifting communities out of poverty through their programs and services and we are happy to support their mission.
Elder Abuse Seminars
One in 10 Americans over 60 years old has experienced elder abuse and it’s estimated that only a fraction of abuse is reported to authorities.
To help protect our seniors or anyone who is a risk of financial abuse, we’re introducing a new in-person seminar being held twice in October.
Safeguarding Our Seniors: Preventing Financial Exploitation
Location: New Camarillo Branch, 520 Arneill Rd.
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Sat, October 18 from 2 to 4 pm
Register Here: Safeguarding Our Seniors: Preventing Financial Exploitation
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Tue, October 21 from 5:30 to 7 pm
Register Here: Safeguarding Our Seniors: Preventing Financial Exploitation
