Around the office, we call it an "Apple moment."
You're riding a bike or grabbing a bite to eat when someone notices the logo on your shirt and asks, 'Do you work for Apple Federal Credit Union?' Suddenly, you are in a wonderful conversation about what they love about Apple and why they bank with our credit union.
Those interactions are the best part of our jobs; however, they don't happen by accident. People ask about Apple because they know us. They see how we support our members and how we serve our community.
As Chief Marketing Officer, I'm excited to tell you about how you'll be seeing even more of Apple in 2024.
Imagine That
Have you spotted our new billboards in Winchester or seen our new ads on the back of buses? The artwork is catchy, "Banking From Folks Who Actually Care" alongside a giant red Imagine That sticker.
Imagine if banking was simple, with technology and resources available to answer your questions and execute transactions on your schedule. That's what we believe banking should be at Apple Federal Credit Union. Imagine that!
At Apple, we are continuously imagining and reimagining new products and experiences to make banking easier. Of course, we like to have a little fun along the way. You'll see that in our latest commercial featuring a pointy-bearded sorcerer named Randalf.
The Apple team is excited about Imagine That — which is currently running on airwaves and digital platforms, with another commercial set to debut in May — because we love letting people know about the numerous ways we help our members.
Our Community
In 2023, Apple FCU gave $340,000 to organizations and events that supported our Northern Virginia communities. We're always looking to help our community, which is why our team will participate in 100 community events this year.
Giving back is part of our culture at Apple; it makes us who we are. This extends to volunteering, where our employees frequently give their time and talents to local causes. I'm incredibly proud that more than 45% of Apple employees participated in volunteer efforts last year, helping us record more than 2,550 volunteer hours as a company.
Our Apple team makes a difference as individuals and through our corporate initiatives. In that spirit, I want to highlight a couple of our efforts to assist families and children in our community.
Helping Schools, Students and Families
Did you know that Apple was established in 1956 by 10 teachers who helped another teacher purchase tires? Although we're not just for teachers anymore, we consider schools the backbone of our communities and remain true to our purpose of assisting local educators.
School districts and teachers face increasing challenges these days, making it ever more important to support our teachers and classrooms. Apple offers niche products unique to teachers and school employees. We are also always thinking of ways to evolve our programming and financial wellness support to meet the needs of educators and staff.
We've spent decades recognizing and supporting local educators, and we will collaborate with our Northern Virginia school districts as a partner and resource even more in the future.
Women Giving Back
Women Giving Back supports women and children in crisis by providing quality clothing at no cost. Throughout the year, Apple team members spend Saturday mornings restocking clothing racks and displays and assisting clients at checkout. I recently had the opportunity to volunteer at Women Giving Back; it was incredibly rewarding to see the tangible difference our team makes in the lives of others.
Child ID Days
In partnership with local law enforcement, we host free Child ID Days at Apple branches to raise awareness about child safety. At these events, Sheriff's Deputies fingerprint and photograph children ages 2 to 14. We have four Child ID Days in March and more planned for the months ahead.
Northern Virginia Family Service
For more than a decade, Apple has supported Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS), an incredible organization that focuses on lifting families and individuals to hopeful futures.
Apple is proud to assist NVFS across multiple programs, including our monthly volunteer commitment at the NVFS Hunger Resource Center and by leading financial wellness efforts for staff and clients. We love our partnership with NVFS and are honored to be a four-time NVFS CARE Awards winner.
Apple Federal Credit Union is a resource for so many organizations, parents and families. Giving back matters to us because we are a community-based credit union. We serve our friends and neighbors, and helping our community is always the right thing to do.
Apple Moments
Our mission also extends to helping our employees fulfill their professional dreams. As we celebrate Women's History Month, I'm honored to serve as an executive sponsor of both the Apple Women's Network, an employee resource group that provides resources, support and opportunities for women at Apple, and our Emerging Professionals Network, which helps younger employees advance in their career journey.
At Apple, we take pride in how we treat our employees and members. We wear that pride on our sleeves and sometimes quite literally on the logo on our shirts. When people see us, they know we're improving lives and fulfilling dreams.
That's what it's all about, those "Apple moments" when we know we are making a difference. I encourage you to follow along on social media as we showcase how our team members are serving our communities in the year ahead.
