Greetings!
I hope with the change of seasons, that everyone has been enjoying warmer temperatures, longer evenings and a spirit of hope and optimism that Spring is in the air.
I’m delighted to report that the recent “We Can All be Heroes” mural unveiling was a huge success! Sponsored by SF Fire Credit Union, the Black Firefighter Association, the SFBFA Youth Academy, and the City EMT Association, this new installation of public art celebrates the strength and potential of our communities. Painted by Rigel “CRAYONE” Juratovac, a San Francisco firefighter and award-winning artist, this powerful artwork is designed to inspire young people of color to pursue careers as firefighters, paramedics and EMTs. We encourage our members, friends and community at large to visit the mural at the corner of Jones and Ellis Street in San Francisco.
Recently, we hosted a Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) webinar led by NERT Program Coordinator, Brandon Tom to help prepare and train local community members on important topics like earthquake and disaster safety. SFFD NERT offers free training for individuals, neighborhood groups and community-based-organizations, where people will learn the basics of personal preparedness and prevention. By training residents, our community can come together when a crisis occurs and support each other while allowing emergency workers to focus on more complex needs. More than 125 people attended the webinar, and all registrants were entered to win one of six Disaster Preparedness “Go Bags” donated by the NERT program.
We are happy to announce an upcoming Shred Day on Monday, May 12, from 9 am – 1 pm in the parking lot of our Stonestown branch at 565 Buckingham Way, San Francisco. This member-only event is a great opportunity to safely destroy sensitive documents, which will be shredded on-site. Given the popularity of our most recent shred day, we will cap the amount to four banker boxes per household. For more information and to RSVP, please check out our website.
We hope you’ll consider joining us for Firefighter Appreciation Night at Oracle Park on Tuesday, May 20 from 3 – 7 pm. Once again, we will honor our first responders with the Second Annual SF Fire x Giants Tailgate Party at China Basin Park (across from McCovey Cove). It’s the ultimate celebration with massive fun, firefighters, great food, and fantastic giveaways before heading over to Oracle Park for the big game against the Kansas City Royals!
Lastly, I wanted to share a few thoughts about the political environment and potential policies that may impact how credit unions like SF Fire do business. The media has covered the many ways the new administration is looking to save money, including potentially challenging credit unions’ federal tax status as not-for-profit financial cooperatives. If successful, more than 140 million members nationwide will be affected, and communities will feel the financial strain. Please stay tuned for ways you can advocate for SF Fire and other credit unions; more information will be shared in the coming months.
Check out https://www.ccul.org/cftc/ for more information and click on “Don’t Tax My Credit Union” to send a message to legislators encouraging them not to impose new taxes.
Best wishes for a joyful Spring!
Kathy Duvall
President and CEO
Check out Kathy's message, and more in our April Siren Newsletter.
