By: Lena

Lena @ 12:06 pm

Celebrate the Season and Help Make the Holidays Happier with Michigan First!

2008 Holiday Brights Schedule

“Blanket Days” – Help Keep Someone Warm
November 10 – December 31
Evergreen, Gratiot, New Center, Wayne & Wyoming Branches

Bring a new twin-size blanket to any of the branches listed above for the American Red Cross “Blanket Days for the Homeless” Campaign.

Our Spectacular Holiday Lights Turn On For the Season!
Monday, November 24
Evergreen Branch, 27000 Evergreen Road

Arts & Crafts Holiday Bazaar
Thursday, December 4, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Friday, December 5, from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Evergreen Branch, 27000 Evergreen Road
Purchase gifts from a variety of specialty vendors and take home holiday gifts for friends and family.

Santa Day – See Santa & His Live Reindeer!
Saturday, December 13, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Evergreen Branch, 27000 Evergreen Road

• Picture with Santa*
• Clowns
• Face Painters
• Magician
• Bring in a new twin size blanket for “Blanket Days” on Santa Day
• and be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift card
• (one entry per person).**

Holiday Blood Drive
Wednesday, December 17, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Evergreen Branch, 27000 Evergreen Road
There will be a Holiday Blood Drive, hosted by The American Red Cross and Michigan First Credit Union. Register at www.givelife.org with sponsor code “mifirst.”

*$3 each or 2 for $5 with $1 donated to the “Blanket Days” Campaign.
**Michigan First employees, volunteers, and their immediate family are not eligible. Must bring in a new twin-size blanket on 12/13/08 to be entered into the drawing. One entry per person. Subject to change. Must be at least 18 years of age to participate. See Credit Union for details.

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By: Lena

Lena @ 8:12 am

Mark your calendar for the summer concert series at the Lathrup Village Municipal Park every Wednesday evening. The eight week event, made possible through the efforts of the Lathrup Village Community Foundation, features a mix of great entertainment ranging from country, jazz, folk, Americana, to blues and classical.

All concerts are scheduled for Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Below are scheduled performances for this summer’s series:

July 2 – Dr. Dixie Goodtime Band
July 9 – Après le Jour (classical0
July 16 – Paul Carey (blues and jazz)
July 23 – Jesse Palter (jazz)
July 30 – Groove Essential
August 6 – Shepard’s Folly (Celtic)
August 14 – Free family movie night

The concerts are held in the park behind City Hall, located at 27400 Southfield Road in Lathrup Village. Parking is free. For more information, call (248) 557-2600, ext. 244.

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By: Lena

Lena @ 5:43 pm

In early June, Michigan First held its annual MoneyKids Fun Day at Lathrup Village Municipal Park. Nearly 300 MoneyKids, friends and family members enjoyed a fun day that included inflatable play attractions, clowns and face painters, train rides, and food. Maxamillion the Dinosaur, the MoneyKids mascot, was also on hand to put smiles on everyone’s face. MoneyKids were eligible to enter a drawing to win one of three Toys R Us gift cards. In addition, each child received a gift.

Michigan First Credit Union MoneyKids Mascot Maxamillion the Dinosaur (Max) hangs with his new pals Kel-El and Darrion.

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By: Lena

Lena @ 1:26 pm

Come and join us during this year’s “Art in the Park”. There will be plenty of opportunities to shop as artists booths will line Southfield Road and the Municipal Park. Enjoy court open for fabulous foods or simply stop by to listen to the music in the gazebo. To relax, try one of the Michigan brews offered at the mini pub this year.

Don’t forget to look for the Michigan First Credit Union booth to enter into a special drawing!

Where: Lathrup Village Municipal Park

27400 Southfield Road (Between 11 and 12 Mile Roads)

When: Saturday, June 21

10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 22

11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Have you been at this event before? Tell us about it by writing a comment on the blog.

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By: Lena

Lena @ 1:20 pm

Michigan First Credit Union sponsored the Scholar’s Lecture and Spelling Bee at the Ford
Freedom Awards, an annual fundraiser for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American
History. Pictured below are Michael Poulos, President/CEO of Michigan First Credit Union; Keke
Palmer, star of the film “Akeelah and the Bee”; and Rob Bettie, the Community Relations
Specialist with State Farm Insurance.

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By: Lena

Lena @ 9:16 am

Michigan First Credit Union Receives Generation Next Award for Youth-Focused Financial Initiatives

Michigan First Credit Union has been awarded the 2007 Generation Next Award, in recognition of its “overall achievement in outstanding contributions to the credit union youth movement” and for “effectively bridging the gap for the next generation of credit union members.”

The Generation Next Award is presented annually by the Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL). This year’s award was presented by Mike Bridges, MCUL director of public affairs, at the recent MCUL Metro West Chapter luncheon.

Michigan First has a long history of commitment and involvement with youth activities and programs. Its student-run branch program has grown to 10 elementary and middle schools, and there are plans to add 10 more school locations in 2008. Michigan First also has a branch in Southfield-Lathrup High School that employs the students. Through its MoneyKids (ages 0-12) and MoneyTeen (ages 13-17) programs, Michigan First encourages children and teens to save money and teaches financial responsibility that grows with them.

In addition, Michigan First also provides scholarship programs for local high school seniors and sponsors many community initiatives and groups, including the Good Schools Essay Contest presented by the Skillman Foundation and the Good Schools Resource Center at Marygrove College, Detroit Metro Youth Day, Southfield Lathrup Junior Optimist Club and Career Day program, Detroit Public School Chess program, Detroit Executive Service Corps and a number of other initiatives.

Criteria for the Generation Next Award includes progressive efforts through areas such as classroom involvement, legislative efforts regarding financial literacy, student-run credit unions, and youth account services and/or staffing.

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By: Lena

Lena @ 8:37 am

Nine talented Detroit students have been selected as winners in the first Good Schools Poetry Contest presented by The Skillman Foundation and Good Schools Resource Center at Marygrove College and sponsored by Michigan First Credit Union.

The competition is part of The Skillman Foundation’s seven-year, multi-million dollar education initiative, Good Schools: Making the Grade, which identifies nine indicators of student and school success and invites all Detroit schools to apply for funding and technical assistance to maintain or attain these standards.   The poetry contest was open to K-12 students attending any of the 145 public, charter, private or parochial schools in Detroit that have been named Good Schools during the first three years of the initiative. The topic was: “Why my School is a Good School.” More than 1,000 entries were submitted. 

First, second and third place winners were chosen in each of three grade levels — elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and high school (9-12). The winning students and their prizes are:

1)      ELEMENTARY: ·        

1st Place ($300 Gift Card) – Bryce Stallworth, 4th Grade, Bates Academy

 2nd Place($200 Gift Card) – Erica Cannon, 5th Grade, YMCA Service Learning Academy 

  3rd Place ($100 Gift Card) – Brandon Hull, 1st Grade, Charles H. Wright Academy 

2)      MIDDLE: 

1st Place ($500 Gift Card) – Najah Johnson, 7th Grade, Gesu Catholic School 

2nd Place ($300 Gift Card) – J′La Williams, 8th Grade, Golightly Educational Center 

3rd Place ($150 Gift Card) – Shabaka DaaJa-Ra, 7th Grade, Gesu Catholic School

3)      HIGH SCHOOL: 

1st Place ($750 Gift Card) – Michael Varano, 12th Grade, Renaissance High School 

2nd Place ($500 Gift Card) – Phillip Hall, 12th Grade, Communication & Media Arts 

3rd Place ($300 Gift Card) – Margaret Clements, 12th Grade, Renaissance High School

The student poetry winners received their prizes at a Good Schools Celebration of Excellence event on May 27th at Chene Park in Detroit. Marygrove College English faculty judged the students’ poems on creativity, originality, content, title appropriateness, style and mechanics, use of language, and voice authenticity. “We were extremely pleased with the response we received in the poetry contest. It demonstrates the creativity of children in Detroit schools and gives them a voice in what makes a Good School,” said Tonya Allen, vice president of program for The Skillman Foundation.  Michigan First Credit Union presented gift cards and award certificates to the poetry contest winners and plaques to the winning students’ schools. “This is our second year sponsoring a Good Schools: Making the Grade contest, and we’re very proud to be a part of this important initiative,” said Michigan First President & CEO Michael D. Poulos. “Michigan First has always been committed to the education and development of Detroit youth.”

The Skillman Foundation’s Good Schools: Making the Grade initiative identifies, recognizes and rewards Good Schools in Detroit. During the first three years of the initiative, The Skillman Foundation awarded more than $5.5 million in Good Schools grants to nearly 150 Detroit schools. The winning schools are recognized in four categories — High Performing, Improving, Emerging and Aspiring — and evaluated on nine standards: Student Academic Performance; Student Attendance; Leadership and Educational Vitality; Data-Driven Decision Making; Challenging Curriculum and Instruction; Student Focus and Support; School Culture; Professional Community; and School, Family and Community Partnerships.   

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By: Lena

Lena @ 10:57 am

Michigan First Credit Union proudly announces it will be donating $9,300 to The Heat And Warmth Fund (THAW) as a result of its fundraising efforts during the “December Brights: Glowing Green” event. The check will be presented to THAW during the fifth annual Winter Survival Radiothon for THAW at the Boll Family YMCA in Detroit. The donation will be broadcast live at 12:15 a.m. on Saturday, February 9.
You can hear Michigan First radio spots broadcast daily throughout the week on WWJ 950 AM.  In addition, the spots will also be played 3 times per hour between midnight – 5 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, February 9.
Michigan First is an official sponsor of the WWJ Newsradio 950 Winter Survival Radiothon for THAW. In addition to the $9,300, Michigan First donated a PlayStation 3 prize pack valued at more than $500, which will be auctioned off during the 31-hour on-air extravaganza.

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By: Lena

Lena @ 4:23 pm

Looking for a gift that will dazzle this Valentine’s Day? Come and see our Valentine’s Day Dream Deals! Michigan First will be hosting Simmons and Clark special jewelry showcase at our Evergreen Branch on February 8 and February 13.

Stop by to find that special gift! Plus, spend $149 and receive FREE chocolates!

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By: Lena

Lena @ 1:44 pm

Lathrup Village city officials recently joined some of the Michigan First staff to “flip the switch” to kick off the Credit Union’s December Brights: Glowing Green activities to help brighten the holidays. Nearly 400 dancing snowflakes, totaling 24,000 LED lights, lit up the Credit Union’s Evergreen Branch during the lighting ceremony held a few days before Thanksgiving. On hand to help Michigan First President/CEO Michael Poulos was Lathrup Village Mayor, Frank Brock, Jr.

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