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Holiday Toy Drive Exceeded Expectations

January 3, 2021

KCCU partnered with three organizations to help provide toys for children and teens in need, in our community this holiday season. We set a goal to collect 500 toys, games and gift cards to help support the efforts of the Salvation Army, There’s Enough, and the St Joseph County United Way. With generous donations from KCCU members, employees, and board of directors they exceeded our goal by collecting 528 items.

For the eighteenth consecutive year, KCCU was host to the Salvation Army Angel Tree toy drive, utilizing eight of their branch locations throughout Battle Creek, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, as drop off locations for toy donations.  In addition, KCCU’s Three Rivers branch collected toys for the St Joseph County United Way, and Marshall’s branch supported the toy drive for There’s Enough. KCCU’s annual toy drive is a favorite event for employees and members, it is heartwarming to know that by donating a toy, game or gift card you directly affect a child in West Michigan by bringing them the magic and joy of the holidays.

“I am so proud of our members, team, and board of directors, we could not have reached our goal without their generous donations,” states Tracy Miller, KCCU’s CEO. “The holidays can be hard and especially stressful for those who are in need. This year was particularly challenging for many families impacted financially by the pandemic. We are so grateful for our community partners and that KCCU was able to bring joy to children who otherwise might not have received a gift this holiday season.”

KCCU Spreads Kindness

December 22, 2020

KCCU collaborated with local businesses to donate coffee, Herbalife tea bombs, and protein coffee energy drinks to local healthcare workers to show their support for their hard work and dedication during this pandemic.

We partnered with West Main Nutrition in Kalamazoo, and three different Biggby’s located in Battle Creek, Byron Center, and Three Rivers to spread some kindness during the holiday season, in appreciation of our local healthcare heroes working on the frontlines in area hospitals. KCCU sponsored the coffee and energy drinks, and our drink partners kindly delivered them to various departments throughout the hospitals to help give the healthcare workers an extra boost of energy during their shift. The local hospitals that received these drinks were: Bronson in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo; Oaklawn in Marshall; Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo; Three Rivers Health; and Metro Health in Wyoming.

"Our clinical staff is fighting coronavirus daily and caring for very ill patients. It is mentally and physically exhausting,” stated Deb Smith, Director of CCU at Oaklawn Hospital, MSN, RN. “Staff are covering multiple shifts and working many hours. The coffee donation that Biggby and Kellogg Community Credit Union provided was a much-needed respite and was greatly appreciated by our staff."

“For the Team at KCCU to be able to show their support and appreciation to our local healthcare heroes working on the frontlines during this pandemic was truly an honor”, said Tracy Miller, CEO of KCCU. “The healthcare workers show so much dedication to the members of our community, they deserve many acts of kindness. And it’s especially heart-warming that local businesses were willing to partner with us to deliver these drinks. In times like these, our communities show their strength in working together.”

Another Successful Charitable Coat Drive

November 6, 2020

KCCU held our annual coat drive throughout the month of October to help the members of the communities in which they serve stay warm.

We partnered with Charitable Union (Battle Creek), There’s Enough (Marshall), St. Joseph County United Way (Three Rivers), Salvation Army (Kalamazoo County), and Bethany Christian Services (Grand Rapids), to help members of these communities stay warm this winter. Both new and gently used coats, hats, mittens, and scarves, in sizes ranging from infants to adults, and everything in-between, were collected. Our KCCU Team and Members, as well as members of the community, truly live the credit union philosophy of people helping people as we donated over 366 coats this year and 100+ items such as hats, mittens, gloves and scarves, all to help people in our community stay warm this winter!
 

Three Rivers Branch Hosts Cat Supply Drive

September 25, 2020

Our Three Rivers Branch recently hosted a successful drive to benefit the St. Joseph County Animal Shelter to assist with their recent acquirement of 150 cats. In just a couple of weeks, the Three Rivers Branch was able to collect 200 pounds of various cat supplies such as food and cat litter.

“Our entire Three Rivers team at KCCU has a soft spot for animals, and when we heard about the hundreds of cats that Animal Control took in due to two local hoarding situations, we knew we wanted to jump in and do something to help,” stated Pam Overweg, KCCU’s Three Rivers Branch Manager. “It was very heartwarming to see the gratitude and thankfulness from the staff at St. Joseph Animal Control for the generosity our members and staff showed with the amount of donations they provided. Thank you to everyone who contributed!”

“Adopting is one way to help; but it’s not the only one. St. Joseph County Animal Control & Shelter relies on donations from our community to help our furry friends. Having quality dog and cat food available for the animals is essential to their health and well-being,” stated Julie Sylvain, Support Assistant at St. Joseph County Animal Control. “We really appreciate Kellogg Community Credit Union helping with our over-abundance of animals. It’s organizations such as theirs that make being in St. Joseph County such a blessing!”

KCCU announces college scholarship recipients

June 23, 2020

We are pleased to announce the 2020 KCCU College Scholarship recipients. The KCCU Scholarship provides $1,000 towards tuition for students attending an accredited Michigan college, university, or trade school. After reviewing all the scholarship entries, KCCU would like to congratulate these five deserving recipients who were selected for their outstanding achievements:

Keaton Roach is a 2020 graduate of Athens High School, where he was involved in the Robotics Club, Science Olympiad, Spanish Club and more. He plans to attend Western Michigan University to pursue a degree in Engineering.

Kaitlyn Brinkman is a 2020 Union City Community High School graduate, where she was involved in many activities such as basketball, cross-country, track, competitive swimming, National Honor Society, marching and concert band, student council and more. She will attend Western Michigan University to pursue a career in physical therapy.

Kara Mackenzie is a 2020 Pennfield High School graduate. She played volleyball, participated in the art club and volunteered as a children’s ministry teacher at her church. She plans to attend Michigan State University where she will major in Professional and Public Writing and plans to become a fiction editor.

Kaleb Little graduated from Pennfield High School in 2018 and currently attends Kellogg Community College. He plans to transfer to a four-year university to earn his Bachelor’s in Finance and pursue a career as a financial advisor.

Megan Moore is a 2020 St. Phillip Catholic Central graduate swhere she served as Vice President of the student council, played varsity tennis, was in the marching and concert band, and National Honor Society. She tutored elementary school students and was involved in the Battle Creek Area Youth Alliance Committee. Megan will attend University of Michigan for a degree in Chemistry and then plans to continue to dental school with the goal of becoming a dentist.

KCCU is proud to be able to offer these scholarships. As a credit union, we are founded on the philosophy of ‘people helping people,’ and by offering scholarships to assist young members with the increasing cost of higher education, KCCU is reinforcing its commitment to the financial success of its members.

“We are proud to offer each of these five outstanding students a $1000 scholarship. These students are the leaders of tomorrow and we are happy to assist them in reaching their educational goals.” said Tracy Miller, CEO of Kellogg Community Credit Union. “In addition, I’d like to congratulate all 2020 graduates on their achievements and hard work. While your senior year did not end like you might have expected, please know that we are all proud of you and what you’ve accomplished.”

The Kellogg Community Credit Union College Scholarship Program was developed to help local high school graduates reach their career goals. 2020 marks the thirty-second year of KCCU’s scholarship program, and since its inception they have awarded roughly $160,000 to local students. KCCU’s Board of Directors, Management, and Staff congratulate the 2020 scholarship winners, and thank the many other exceptional students who applied.

KCCU makes generous contribution to the food bank

May 25, 2020

_{KCCU’s CEO, Tracy Miller, holding the check for $4670.57 for the credit union’s total contribution to the South Michigan Food Bank.}

KCCU employees participated in #GivingTuesdayNow by hosting a virtual Food Drive to support to the South Michigan Food Bank. GivingTuesday, the nonprofit behind the annual day of giving, which is typically the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, launched #GivingTuesdayNow, which took place on May 5th, 2020 as a day of unity in response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19.

Since the Michigan stay-at-home order was in effect, KCCU decided a virtual food drive was the best option to keep everyone safe and healthy while also meeting our goal of helping members in the communities we serve who may be food insecure. So KCCU team members made purchases, totaling $1556.57, from an online store which shipped the food items directly to the South Michigan Food Bank when the drive was over.

KCCU wanted to keep the generosity rolling, so we matched the dollar amount their employees spent on the virtual drive and donated $1557. But the giving didn’t stop there. The Michigan Credit Union Foundation (MCUF) notified area credit unions of their Community Crisis Support Grant where they would match credit union funding for activities related to the COVID-19 crisis that help to improve the financial health of people, families, businesses, and communities in Michigan. KCCU applied, and was awarded a grant for $1557, bringing the total contribution to the South Michigan Food Bank to $4670.57. This will have a tremendous impact as each dollar donated to the food bank will provide six meals to someone in need.

“I am so proud of our staff and their generosity during this virtual food drive. It warms my heart to know that our team is not only coming into work every day to assist our members during these difficult times, but that they also want to help others in our community,” stated Tracy Miller, KCCU’s CEO. “Then with the MCUF grant added on - we know this donation will make a big difference to those struggling with food insecurities during this challenging time.”

“Over Covid-19, food insecurity has dramatically increased. Throughout Covid-19, South Michigan Food Bank has dispersed 1,136 tons of fresh and non-perishable food items across eight-counties! This is a 40% increase from the same time period in 2019,” stated Summer Sunnock, Advancement Director at the South Michigan Food Bank. “We are very thankful for our partners, making it possible to distribute this volume of food. Thank you to Kellogg Community Credit Union and its employees for donating an overall contribution equal to $4670.57!”

KCCU shows support to healthcare workers during Nurses Week

May 8, 2020

^{Dropping off Tea Bombs to the Healthcare Heroes at Metro Health} 

To celebrate Nurses week, we partnered with local businesses to donate 450 Herbalife Tea Bomb energy drinks to local nurses and healthcare workers to show their support and to say thank you for their hard work and dedication.

KCCU collaborated with Amaz’n Nutrition in Three Rivers, West Main Nutrition in Kalamazoo, and Byron Center Nutrition to share some love and appreciation to the healthcare heroes working on the frontlines in our local hospitals. KCCU sponsored the energy drinks and the nutrition clubs delivered the healthy tea bombs to various departments throughout the hospitals to help give the nurses and healthcare workers an extra boost of healthy energy during their shift.

150 tea bombs were delivered to Three Rivers Health, 100 to each Bronson and Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo, and 100 to Metro Health in Wyoming. In addition, the week before KCCU partnered with Epic Nutrition in Battle Creek, and VIP Nutrition in Marshall to sponsor 100 tea bombs for Bronson Battle Creek and another 100 for Oaklawn’s essential workers.

KCCU Awarded Prestigious LEED Green Building Certification

May 5, 2020

KCCU announced that its newest branch, located at 2270 Gezon Pkwy in Wyoming, Michigan, has been awarded LEED-Certified. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction and operations practices that improve environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings are helping to make the world more sustainable.

KCCU’s Gezon Pkwy branch, opened in October 2019 and is in the Metro Health Village, next to the Family Fare gas station in Wyoming. KCCU partnered with Grand Rapids based Integrated Architecture and Rockford Construction for the design and build of their new branch.   

 "We were very excited to build our first LEED certified branch and to be a part of the Metro Health Village which is an LEED community”, says Tracy Miller, CEO of KCCU. “Metro Health Village is a beautiful development and we wanted to build a branch that our team, members and the neighborhood would be proud of. The design of the building is very inviting, and we are excited to serve our members in this wonderful space while doing our part to help make the world more sustainable.”

Green buildings allow companies to operate more sustainably and give people inside the building a healthier, more comfortable space to work in. KCCU achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Project highlights for the branch include:

• A 26% energy cost savings over conventional buildings, through a combination of daylight harvesting, highly efficient mechanical and lighting equipment, and other energy saving mechanism.  
• Providing 100% of occupied spaces with direct access to ample daylight and quality view to the out of doors, which promotes increased productivity and worker satisfaction.
• Mechanical systems that ensure a high performing building while preventing long-term maintenance issues and wasted energy.
• Branch site is located in an area which encourages alternatives to private automobile use, such as walking, biking, vehicle shares, and public transit.
• Reduced potable water use for irrigation by 60% and through highly efficient plumbing fixtures, reduced indoor potable water use by almost 40%. 
• Diverted over 75% of the waste associated with construction and has implemented an ongoing solid-waste recycling policy to continue to divert solid waste into the future.

“Kellogg Community Credit Union’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “LEED was created to make the world a better place and revolutionize our buildings and communities by providing everyone with access to healthy, green and high performing buildings. Kellogg Community Credit Union’s is a prime example of how the innovative work of project teams can create local solutions that contribute to making a global difference.”

KCCU Partners with local business to show support and appreciation to heathcare workers

April 24, 2020

KCCU partnered with Epic Nutrition Smoothie Bar, located in Battle Creek, and VIP Nutrition Smoothie Bar, located in Marshall to share some love and appreciation to local healthcare workers.

Epic and VIP Nutrition, both owned by Ken and Kristen VanDalsen have been delivering complimentary Herbalife tea bomb energy drinks to both Bronson Battle Creek and Oaklawn Hospitals. They provide the tea bombs to various departments throughout the hospitals to help give the healthcare workers an extra boost of healthy energy during their shift.

KCCU partnered with Epic and VIP Nutrition to sponsor 100 tea bombs for Bronson Battle Creek and another 100 tea bombs for Oaklawn’s essential workers. The 200 Tea Bombs will be distributed on April 24th all throughout the day, covering the day and night shifts at both hospitals.

KCCU coat drive a success

November 5, 2019

KCCU team gives back to the community

October 20, 2019

Kellogg Community Credit Union our annual Team Enrichment Day on October 14th this year. Our Team started the day with training and development, then finished the day volunteering for the United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR).

Our entire Team worked diligently and enthusiastically to create a variety of items which will impact members of our communities in a positive way. We assembled over 2,800 First Aid Kits, and 50 warm blankets, which will primarily be distributed at the Homeless Health Fairs in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. We created 300 T-Shirt Bags which will be used at Ministry with Community and other nonprofits servicing our homeless & transient populations. We put together 1,000 weekend snack packs that will go to Battle Creek public schools, so that kids have something to eat over the weekend.

“Our Team Enrichment Day has always been dedicated to bringing our entire team together for a day of learning and development so we can make our organization even stronger. We know that part of becoming stronger is not only serving our members, but also serving those in our community,” stated Tracy Miller, KCCU’s CEO. “Spending an afternoon volunteering is a great way for our Team to bond and give back to our communities, while helping the United Way accomplish their goals too.”

Volunteering our time to community organizations is part of KCCU’s culture, not only on Team Enrichment Day, but throughout the year. In 2018 the KCCU Team contributed over 700 hours of their time volunteering for a variety of community events and organizations. 

New Metro Health Branch Now Open!

October 16, 2019

KCCU's just opened our newly built branch, just around the corner from previous branch located in the Grand Rapids Metro Health Village near the Family Fare and Metro Health Hospital. The new branch is located at 2270 Gezon Parkway SW, in Wyoming and offers a full array of services for all your financial needs including assistance with daily transactions, checking and loan services, mortgages, investment services, commercial accounts including lending, drive thru service, and a 24-hour drive up ATM.

Stop in an see us at our beautiful new location!

KCCU Annual Coat Drive Kicks Off

October 1, 2019

Kellogg Community Credit Union (KCCU) kicked off its annual coat drive to help the members of the communities in which they serve stay warm this winter. The coat drive will run from October 1st – 31st at every KCCU branch location.

KCCU is partnering with Charitable Union (Battle Creek), St. Joseph County United Way, Salvation Army (Kalamazoo County), Marshall Area Community Services (MACS), and Bethany Christian Services (Grand Rapids), to help provide coats and cold weather gear to those who may need assistance. Both new and gently used coats, hats, mittens, and scarves, that are clean and in good condition, will be accepted by these community partners. They will then distribute the items to local families in need for the upcoming winter season. All sizes are welcome from adults to infants, and everything in-between.
 

KCCU gives back

Kellogg Community Credit Union is proud to give back to the communities that we live in  and serve by supporting the following charitable programs:

• The Charitable Union, Marshall Area Community Services (MACS), and Salvation Army – KCCU collected 239 coats for those in need.
• Food Drive / Shred Day – KCCU hosted a Community Shred Day and Food drive at two branch locations. 585 pounds of food was collected for local food banks. Plus, 49 trees were saved with the amount of paper that was shredded.
• Charitable Toy Drives – KCCU staff and members donated nearly 500 new toys for needy children in our community through The Salvation Army Angel Tree and Firefighters for Santa.
• School Donations – KCCU donated $2,500 to local schools as part of a school spirit day.
• Service Hours – KCCU team members contributed over 700 hours of their time volunteering for a varity of community events and organizatinos.
• United Way – KCCU and its employees generously donated $25,000 to the United Way of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region! In addition, we hosted a diaper drive, pop-up giving event, and a book drive to benefit United Way partners.

KCCU also provided support and donations to many other local charities and non-profit service organizations in 2018 such as the American Cancer Society, Children’s Miracle Network, the YMCA, The Haven of Rest Ministries and many more.