Recipients of the $100 from WSECU were asked to give the money to a charitable cause, talk a picture of them donating and post it to a social media platform.
Tonya Lovell, right, of Toledo, receives $100 from the WSECU assistant branch manager Laura Grunenfelder on Tuesday as part of the Giving Tuesday movement in Chehalis. The bank handed out $1,200 in all to 12 unsuspecting customers and asked them to spend it on helping the community.
Tyler Buchanan and Brianna Lawrence, both 23, of Chehalis, receive $100 from WSECU assistant branch manager Laura Grunenfelder on Tuesday as part of the Giving Tuesday movement in Chehalis.
Tyler Buchanan and Brianna Lawrence, both 23, of Chehalis, pose for a picture with WSECU assistant branch manager Laura Grunenfelder, right, after they received $100 from the bank on Tuesday as part of the Giving Tuesday movement in Chehalis.
Twelve unsuspecting members at the Chehalis branch of WSECU were surprised with a crisp $100 bill on Tuesday.
The catch? They had to spend it on making the community a better place.
The credit union distributed the money as it took part in Giving Tuesday, a “global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration” that seizes on the popularity of shopping days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The event supports philanthropy and giving in local communities on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
The branch gave $1,200 in allotments of $100 to 12 different people. Whether it was given to an organization helping the homeless or was used to stock shelves at a food bank, the decision on where to spend the money was left to the person receiving it.
“It’s just so powerful and it’s so one-on-one,” Laura Grunenfelder, assistant branch manager at WSECU, said. “I can give this to you and you get the opportunity to do whatever you want to help the community. I think that’s pretty exciting.”
Brianna Lawrence and Tyler Buchanan, both 23, of Chehalis, decided after some discussion that they would most likely donate the money to the local Shop with a Cop program. The money came at the perfect time for the two, who said they were just discussing how people in the community should give more.
“We were just talking about it outside, how the world needs to kind of take a step back, slow down and have a better sense of community,” Buchanan said.
Lawrence said she was surprised by the offer, but said in a community like Lewis County, a little extra help for others never hurts.
The effort just added to why the couple likes and supports their credit union.
“I think it’s awesome,” Buchanan said. “I think this is one of the things people take notice of and start participating in. That’s why we stick with our banks that we have because we like coming in and talking to people. Stuff like this, it furthers that even more.”
For another unsuspecting member, her plan for the money was to give back to Toledo, the community she resides and owns a business in.
“Lots of people there are in need, so I would say I’ll probably give it to the food bank or something there,” Tonya Lovell said.
The credit union has participated in Giving Tuesday for at least four years, according to Ann Flannigan, vice president of public relations for WSECU, but this year’s approach was different. In the past, the credit union selected one kind of organization to donate the money to across its 20 branches in Washington. This year, Flannigan said, they wanted to get the members of the credit union involved and promote the “pay it forward” aspect.
“It’s a fun and new concept,” she said. “We really get a lot of fun and fulfillment out of doing this with the money.”
All of the credit union’s branches participated in the effort, and over $25,000 was given away across the state. Flannigan knows a small portion of the members won’t carry out the challenge presented to them, but in the end, she said it’s still a very worthy cause.
Giving Tuesday ties into the credit union’s philosophy of giving back. WSECU sets aside 4 percent of its net income annually to give back to community organizations, Flannigan said. This year, WSECU is on track to give more than $675,000 to nonprofit organizations all across the state.
“It really is part of our DNA to not only take care of our members, which is job number one, but then in addition to give back to the community where we have our branches and help keep them strong and thriving,” she said.
Those who received the money were asked to give the $100 to a good cause or to help someone in need, document the action with a photo, and post it on social media with the hashtags #WSECU and #GivingTuesday.
