We are driven by a sense of service. Service to our members, providing them with the best financial services possible. Service to our communities, fostering financial wellness for everyone. Service to Maryland, helping our state thrive.
We’re kicking this spirit of service into overdrive this April as part of National Volunteer Month. All month long, our employees will volunteer their time, expertise, passion, and hearts to worthy causes around Maryland.
You’ll be able to follow all their amazing work and impact here. Check back every week to see where we’ve been and what we’ve done.
Junior Achievement of Central Maryland
SECU volunteers guided 132 students from the Baltimore Design School and Elmer Henderson School in creating a balanced household budget and paying their monthly bills. We shared perspectives and experiences on personal finance concepts, as well as investing, saving, and career exploration.
And we weren’t the ones sharing financial advice. The students shared a few key insights with us, as well.
“My budget strategy is to spend only my parents’ money so I can save.”
“You don’t have to donate dollars to be charitable.”
Harford Family House
In partnership with Maryland’s Department of Human Services, Harford Family House (HFH) offers the Ready by 21 Program to young adults aging out of foster care. This program provides temporary housing for single young adults in the HFH Family Shelter and an assigned case manager to accompany them on their six-month journey toward independence and self-sufficiency. The program focuses on goal setting related to life skills, housing, education, employment, finances, mental health, physical health, and building a network of support.
Our SECU volunteers spend the morning painting an apartment for a young man participating in Ready by 21.
After painting, volunteers created 50 “Kind Notes.” HFH leaves these notes on residents’ doors each week to spread kindness and positivity.
Maryland New Directions
Maryland New Directions’ mission is to, “train and coach people facing career and life transitions to overcome barriers, restore self-belief, and acquire the skills and tools needed to secure employment on a path to a living wage.”
One of the hardest parts of securing employment, for anyone, is the job interview. What do you say when asked about your strengths and weaknesses? How do you talk about your accomplishments without sounding like you’re bragging? How to you sell your “personal brand?”
Like almost anything, the best way to get good at it is to practice. So, seven SECU volunteers conducted mock interviews with Maryland New Directions participants, offering perspective and feedback. This helped them practice their “self-marketing” skills, so they’ll be ready to land their next big career break.
Community Action Council – Howard County Food Bank
The Community Action Council of Howard County strives to, “diminish poverty and enable self-sufficiency for all Howard County individuals, families, and children in need.” As part of that mission, it offers regular shopping hours with the Howard County Food Bank. Here, residents can shop just like at the grocery store, picking up fresh and healthy options for them and their families.
Volunteers from SECU made sure the shelves were well stocked with non-perishable items and delicious and fresh produce. We helped prepare the market for 50 families that would be shopping there later in the day.
Montgomery College
Montgomery College serves 55,000 students across three campuses. Notable former students include Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Tori Amos and former NBA player Jerome Williams.
Six SECU volunteers spend the morning packing snack bags for students (you have to feed the brain to learn) and talking with them about financial wellness. We also made sure that they knew about the SECU MD Foundation scholarship program, which is open to community college students who are transferring to a University System of Maryland school in the fall.
Maryland Food Bank: Pantry on the Go food distribution with Aaron’s Place
Rounding out our week of food-related volunteering, we headed to Caroline County. There, five volunteers worked with the Marland Food Bank’s partner Aaron’s Place to help distribute food to the community. The fresh produce was provided through the SECU MD Foundation’s ongoing commitment to the Maryland Food Bank’s Pantry on the Go program.
Earth Day at Vincent Farm Elementary School
We love to see young people already giving back to their communities. At Vincent Farm Elementary School, we got to work with two groups of extraordinary students for Earth Day: the Golden Hawks and the Give Back Club. We decorated pots with the students, in which they planted their own Black-eyed Susans (the official state flower of Maryland) to take home. Members of the Give Back Club will paint additional pots as gifts to take to patients on an upcoming hospital field trip.
