We've Got Spirit
This February, SPC celebrated our first-ever Mission. Vision. Values. Week. The week was full of pom-poms, themed attire, and, of course, tasty treats! You might be wondering why the adult version of spirit week made the cut on our calendar at the credit union…The answer is our mission, vision, and values are what make our member services the good kind of different from other financial institutions in our communities. We’re not just here to move money around; we’re here because we care about our communities. “People helping people,” the credit union motto, isn’t just a nice-sounding tagline; it’s the way we do business here—and it starts on the inside!
To kick off Mission. Vision. Values. Week, we hosted an All-Star Celebration night for our team. This all-star team made up of staff and volunteer board members, filed in and filled up the lobby at our Main office, then settled in for an evening full of accomplishments, applause, and awards! Highlights included work anniversaries ranging from 5-25 years, recognition of extreme levels of community engagement, member service mastery, and several prize winners!
The energy of our All-Star Celebration spilled into the following day when we celebrated our mission: “Members First. Always.” with a member giveaway—a fan favorite! Samantha, a Sales & Service Associate, said of the giveaway: “Everybody loves a little gift every now and then. I always feel so lucky when walking into a place and leaving with a small piece of appreciation. It means even more being the one to be able to help put that feeling in another’s heart. We love our members, and we love showing them just how much!”
But don’t forget: Staff are members, too! Our team went all-in on team bonding and appreciation activities between coworkers and members. Danielle, one of our Lending Underwriters, said, “The highlight of my day was when I completed an auto loan for a member, and they brought me a gift card and thanked me for all I did to help them!” Mindy, a Financial Service Associate, expressed gratitude for one of her coworkers on the teller line, saying, “We were running late, and she was kind enough to stay behind on closing so that I could get out of work on time to pick up my child from daycare!”
The next day, we set our sights on our vision: “Reaching Farther. Working Smarter.” Our Executive Leadership Team showed the rest of us how it’s done by serving lunch to SPC staff at all of our branch locations. Now that’s servant leadership!! We also sent out a virtual comment box that allowed staff to submit suggestions and recommendations about how SPC can “Reach Farther by Working Smarter.” This was a big hit!
On Thursday, we celebrated “The 3 Cs:” Compassion. Connection. and Community. These values are at the core of what we do, from the most minor teller transactions to the major operational decisions made around our board’s conference table. We strengthened connections and community internally by signing each other’s headshots on the “Wall of Fame,” a photo wall featuring every SPC staff, board, and supervisory committee member. A few of the comments on Wall of Fame headshots included “You are the leader we all needed. Thank you!” and “Your patience is your superpower!” Staff and members also put The 3 Cs into practice by contributing to our month-long donation drives for The Saleeby Center, Darlington County Humane Society, Lighthouse Ministries, and The Pee Dee Coalition’s New Beginnings Transitional Shelter. By the end of the month, we had several bins filled with supplies to deliver to each of these organizations!
We wrapped up the week by sharing our SPC Stories through a massive e-blast. We had so many good stories to share; we couldn’t pick…so we didn’t! In case you missed them, here are a few of our favorites!
· Amber, a Financial Service Associate, said that when a member’s safety deposit box was too heavy for her, she called Merci, a member of our IT team, for assistance. Even though the box weighed about as much as he did, he got it back in its appropriate spot with little to no effort!
· Tammy and Shannon, both members of our Collections team, helped members who didn’t understand SPC’s Courtesy Pay feature. Tammy said, “I explained to him that when he paid his bills, there was no money available. He had forgotten that SPC was closed on Monday. I refunded the fees, and he was very grateful. He said that he LOVES SPC!”
We’re excited to carry the spirit of “MVV Week” throughout the year and can’t wait to do it again next year!