Simple Cents

Afro 101

Crissy Ortiz — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:30:19 -0400

An Afro, also known as '"fro", "natural", afro-puffs (see cute kid below), etc. is a hairstyle worn by people with hair that has not been altered with hot combs, flat irons, chemicals or specifically styled in such a fashion by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.

I am sure you have been waiting for the opportunity to learn how to create your very-own afro-centric look...well wait no more. The hairstyle is created by combing the hair away from the scalp, allowing the hair to extend out from the head in a large, rounded shape, much like a halo, cloud or ball. In persons with naturally curly or straight hair, the hairstyle is typically created with the help of creams, gels or other solidifying liquids to hold the hair in place.

Particularly popular in the African-American community of the mid-to-late 1960s, the hairstyle is often shaped and maintained with the assistance of a wide-toothed comb known as an afro-pic. The afro has made a strong come back!

This concludes your lesson on afros, any questions?

People helping people

Crissy Ortiz — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:30:00 -0400

People Helping People is not only a common phrase used to describe the credit union difference. It is evidently the motivating drive as to why more than 6,000 people decided they would dedicate their time yesterday to help fellow community members.

The Post and Courier states:

"More than 6,000 people on Tuesday took a day from their lives or their jobs to help somebody else, in 300 different locations across the three counties around Charleston. The United Way's Day of Caring is an annual, community-wide helping effort by organized groups of volunteers. It's part of a massive effort that extends through the 1,300 local United Way organizations across the nation. The number of Charleston-area volunteers is considered one of the largest turnouts in the country."

If you did not have the opportunity to participate in this massive effort yesterday, Trident United Way makes it really easy to find an opportunity that fits your particular interest! Hopefully this event served as a catalyst to increase volunteerism regularly within our communities.

The Face of Hunger

Crissy Ortiz — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:20:00 -0400

The quickly approaching 2010 Day of Caring has given me the opportunity to reflect over the past several years at my participation in Trident United Way campaigning activities and the importance of sustained support for non-profits charities.

Did you know that one in eight Americans are struggling with the reality of hunger and food insecurity?

The one thing very apparent is hunger does not discriminate. Hunger can happen to anyone of any race, creed, religion, age, social-economic status, etc.

According to an article I read in Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, people who once contributed to food banks are now finding themselves in need of the very same services...

“More and more families are waiting in lines overnight, coming out in high heat, or traveling long distances in rural America just to get a meal or a box of food. The humbling reality for many of these Americans is that they have never had to rely on emergency food assistance before, and they never dreamed they would find themselves in this situation…”

Personally, hearing the stories of children who live in neighboring communities who can’t concentrate at school because they are hungry makes me want to count my blessings and give back. If you or someone you know is in a crisis, Feeding America and Live United are excellent sites that offer information on agencies within your local area.

Feel free to share your story or thoughts on this topic.

Dig a little deeper

Crissy Ortiz — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:30:00 -0400

As we know Labor Day is a national tribute to the contributions made to the prosperity of our country. As parents, I strongly believe we “labor” hard daily. From the time we get the kids off to school to the time we give them kisses at night we constantly instill values in our children and attempt to be the best role models as possible for them in our daily interactions.

If you have young children you have probably seen Princess and the Frog. Lately, I have had the great pleasure of watching this movie at least once per week upon the urgent request of my four year princess. In the movie, Tiana’s father explains to his little princess the importance of working hard and Mama Odie tells Tiana she has to “Dig a Little Deeper” to find out what she really needs in life…

You got to dig a little deeper

For you it’s gonna be tough

You got to dig a little deeper

You ain’t dug near far enough

Dig down deep inside yourself

You’ll find out what you need

Blue skies and sunshine guaranteed!

“Digging a little deeper” is in essence the true underlying message of the movie and it is easily transferable to real life. Wouldn’t you agree it is important to instill in children the importance of not only working hard but looking within themselves to discover their motivations, driving factors and talents?

A baby-boomer friend and I had the opportunity to chat over lunch recently and she stated “parenting never stops and my baby just turned 40!!!” Parenting is one of the hardest but most rewarding “jobs” on earth. So in recognition of Labor Day, I ask all the hard working moms and dads out there to give yourselves a pat on the back!

Mom's first day of school

Crissy Ortiz — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:00:07 -0400

Yes, I really meant to put mom's first day of school!

Fellow blogger Beth hit on key points in her And we’re off blog. After reading this blog I couldn't help but think in addition to school supplies flying off of the shelves and school buses rumbling through neighborhoods, there were anxious moms who were with mixed emotions preparing for their kindergartners first day of school!

Would you agree it is usually tougher on the parent then the kid?!?! I asked one of my recruiters, Nicole who’s son recently started kindergarten to share her experience:

I believe “Back-to-School” should be a holiday for working moms, because the past 2 weeks has taught me that this process is more like a full-time job! My baby boy just started Kindergarten, so as you can imagine, I am a bundle of emotions! But there is no time for that… school shopping, meet the teacher, orientation, PTA meeting, not to mention the piles of informational paperwork you go through! I know I didn’t have to attend some of these meetings, but knowing that this new chapter in my son’s life will have an influence on his attitude, confidence, and performance both socially and academically, I wanted to make sure we were both fully prepared! Since Back-to-School isn't a holiday, as of yet. I'm thankful to have an employer that understands the importance of work-life balance and offers "personal time" as an employee benefit.

Mom, how was your first day of school?

Connecting with the credit union...as an employer?

Crissy Ortiz — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:32:40 -0400

You may have connected with the credit union via e-checking, FinanceWorks or direct deposit. However, have you considered connecting with the credit union as in an employer?

Well, I thought I would take this week’s theme of “connecting” as an opportunity to provide you with an insider’s look at the systems we have adopted to aide in our hunt for the best qualified talent! So you probably have not spent hours or even minutes for that matter wondering why employers use assessments in their hiring process. However, take a moment now and think about the potential benefits for an organization…improved productivity, profitability, retention and morale if the appropriate hire was made the first time around.

Please keep in mind assessments offer better predictions of job performance but not necessarily perfect predictions. A good assessment will deliver reliable and valid results. Reliable in that it works the same each time it is given. Valid meaning it measures what it is supposed to measure.

Two assessments we use to qualify our candidates include PI Worldwide’s® behavioral assessment and PreVisor’s skills assessment solutions. The behavioral assessment allows us to identify a person’s natural ability to do the job with the requirements of the job and culture of the organization. There is no right or wrong answer; it is about where you fit the best.

The assessment solution provides a realistic method of assessing candidate skills and abilities for a wide variety of jobs such as Teller, Contact Center and Branch Service Representative.

Remember, other key components of the selection process include performance criteria, experience, education and skills. However, companies that use pre-employment testing tend to make better hiring decisions, have fewer turnovers, and be more competitive and successful than companies that rely on resumes and instinct. When a company administers a battery of tests to you, it is making an investment. That's a good sign that the company may be a good place for you to invest your time and energy.

Interested in employment opportunities with South Carolina Federal Credit Union or want to learn more about our benefits? Visit scfederal.jobs for a list of current openings or to apply.

What are your thoughts on companies using assessments for employment consideration?

Creative campaigning for little miracles

Crissy Ortiz — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:00:00 -0400

You can employ many creative fundraising strategies to raise money for your organization. Tried-and-true methods like a pancake breakfast might work well, but often unique ways of fundraising attract more attention. As a bonus, many of these fundraising ideas build community as well, and they can raise awareness about your organization.

A pancake breakfast is a great fundraiser idea that will get families, community members, and businesses in the door. Everyone needs to eat, and a good breakfast is the perfect way to give people that while making money at the same time. Sell tickets at the door, and encourage employees to participate. To keep expenses to a minimum you can try to get the food donated from local stores, or ask for a discount.

Remember when I said earlier, 'unique ways of fundraising attract more attention'...well, take our Senior VPs and VPs for example; these two groups agreed to step out of their comfort zone and participate in a dance-off in support of raising funds for Children's Miracle Network!

In this cleverly entitled campaign, "So You Think You Have Talent," the top four SVP’s and VP’s with the most votes at the end of the campaign will compete. Monetary donations equal votes, starting in the form of $1 per vote. Employees may vote as many times as they would like during the campaign. Members can donate at branch location and employees may contribute via our causes page or our intranet.

This exciting campaign allows everyone to participate in the fun! What a great way to create enthusiasm for such a noteworthy cause!

Our broken system

Crissy Ortiz — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:06:50 -0400

As parents across the state are preparing for the start of the new school year some of latest discussion sub-topics have been school registration, back to school shopping, after school programs, etc.

However, another huge topic under the education umbrella is state funding. South Carolina schools have lost more than $750,000,000 (yes, million) in state cuts over the past few years. Jim Rex, State Superintendent of Education recently stated education is being funded at the same level as in 1995! What this means moms and dads is the amount of $$$ allocated per student has decreased over the past few years as opposed to going in the opposite direction. This is scary for me because I have one pre-school aged child who has already been affected by state cuts and another (just like thousands of others) who could potentially be affected if we as parents, schools, communities, etc. don’t fix this broken system.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated, "From educators to parents and political leaders to journalists -- there is a growing sense that a quiet revolution is underway in our homes and schools, classrooms, and communities. This quiet revolution is driven by motivated parents who want better educational options for their children. It's being driven by great educators and administrators who are challenging the defeatism and inertia that has trapped generations of children in second-rate schools."

On July, 27th Duncan also announced that 18 states and the District of Columbia are the finalists for more than $3 billion available in the second round of funding in the Race to the Top program (federal investment in education reform, with $4.35 billion available to support states in their comprehensive reforms) and SC has been named a finalist.

If we want to keep our best teachers in the state as well as organizations like Boeing coming to South Carolina investments must be made in the education of our children.

How do you believe we can fix this broken system?

The new addition to our family

Crissy Ortiz — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:00:00 -0400

She is a little bigger then a business card and pink all over! Yes, if I was able to breathe life into my debit card she would be a vocal, inquisitive member of the family who was full of excitement about the new adventures the family would embark on and discover each fun filled weekend.

She may say, “I wonder…

Will we head down I-85 to North Carolina and visit a cool place like Discovery Place?

Maybe, we will head west on I-26 and watch a puppet show at the Columbia Marionette Theater or visit Ed at Edventure Museum and possibly swing by the zoo to see lions, elephants and giraffes.

Hmmm, maybe we will just stay local and catch a Disney on Ice show at the North Charleston Coliseum or see the albino alligator at the aquarium or possibly explore the castle at the Children’s Museum.

Well, whatever we do, we will have fun!!! I guess you can tell my family has small children…I may have to tell mom and dad to visit one of their favorite restaurants like Cypress for a relaxing evening out without my sisters (hint-hint, LOL!).

If your debit card could talk, what would she say?

Life happens

Crissy Ortiz — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:16:41 -0400

Is it a good sign I had to review my Finding Me Time and SMART Goals blogs as a reminder of the details of my 2010 goals? I would like to think I was just familiarizing myself with some of the details so I could address it appropriately in this week's blog.

Could I have done a better job committing myself to these goals? Hmmm, possibly.

Well ladies and gentleman, I had an excellent start "Bringing It" with my extreme P90X workouts. Plus, I started a book club and increased my "me time" activities. Fast forward a few months later and P90X was more of P35X (lol)! This program despite how extreme and great it is, was a huge time commitment I just could not maintain for the full 90 day duration. Instead I have modified and incorporated a few of the routines from the program into my regular workout regimen still allowing me to reap some of the benefits of this extreme workout.

Secondly, I still have a book club that meets monthly and I try whenever possible even if it is just for a few minutes a day after the kids go down for the night to have some "me time".

Finally, the vision for me is so much bigger than 2010 SMART goals, it is more so LIFE goals ...to live a healthier and smarter life. So overall, am I happy with my goal progress? Sure, I may have made some modifications along the way, but hey...life happens!