Episode 64: Cornerstone Community Financial

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Light Up the D, focus on what's happening
in our community from the people who make it happen.
Here's your host, iHeartMedia Detroit Market President Colleen Grant.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning and welcome to another episode of Light at
the D. I'm your host, Colleen Grant. Thanks for joining
me today. So today we're talking about kids and toys
and fun things that are really important because there are
people out there who need some help. And I have
two guests with me today who are helping people. One
is Emily Morse. She's the assistant branch manager at Cornerstone

(00:35):
Community Financial Credit Union. Cornerstone Community Financial Credit Union is
a full service state charted credit union owned and operated
by its approximately twenty five thousand members. Originally established in
nineteen fifty one as Motor Parts Credit Union, CCF today
has eight branch locations in Michigan and Ohio, ninety five employees,

(00:57):
and more than four hundred million dollars in total assets
under management. So substantial organization. And we're talking today as
well with Maureen Stys, who is with Children's Hospital of Michigan.
She's the manager of child Life there and they have
partnered together to do some really wonderful things, and Children's
Hospital of Michigan Childlife Department works as an integral part

(01:20):
of the care team to return some of that control
the patients and therefore assisting in reducing the stress and
anxiety that's often associated with hospitalizations. So really a critical
role at Children's Hospital of Michigan. Emily and Maureene, I
can't wait for everybody to hear how you've partnered together
to do some really good community work. Thank you for
joining us today.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Thank you so much for having us. So it's so
great to be here.

Speaker 4 (01:44):
Thank you. We're very excited to talk about today.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yeah, let's let's let them have it about this exciting
work that you're doing. But let's back up a little
bit first, and Emily want to you know, I give
a little bit of information about Cornerstone Community Financial, but
why don't you tell us in your words, what is
it that you guys do? How do you help the community?

Speaker 3 (02:04):
You know? So obviously a credit union is as different
than a bank as in it is not for profit.
So all of the money that we make and earn
that goes right back into our community to help out.
And then it you know, gives some opportunities for some
really great outreach initiatives such as this one.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
And Maureen, you're over at Children's Hospital in Michigan working
in child life give everybody a better understanding of when
we talk about giving people control back to the patients
and helping reduce the stress and anxiety, help us understand
what that means.

Speaker 4 (02:39):
Absolutely. So one of the main things that our child
life specialists and our alternative therapy members of our team
do is to try to provide education at developmentally appropriate
levels for kids to be able to understand what is
happening to their body during at the mission, what kind
of tests and procedures do they have to go through,
what is their job during those So, you know, the

(03:01):
fear of the unknown for adults and for kids can
be pretty scary. So it's our job to really bring
things down to the level of a child and be
able to explain those things to help reduce that stress
and anxiety. So, whether they're going to surgery, they're having
an IVY start, or they're getting a new diagnosis, that's
part of our job is to help the patient and
their family.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
So, Emily, you had said, you know that the difference
between a credit union and bank part of the difference.
What you're doing is, you know, really does come back
to the community. And Maureen, you just talked about how
you're helping the community, you know, which sometimes get through
what can be difficult circumstances and make it easier for them.
So in a way, in your job roles, you're both

(03:41):
very community oriented and I know for you, Emily, you know,
the Credit Union is very neighborhood and client driven. Already,
what else do you do in the community.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
We volunteer for different events. A couple of weeks ago,
I had the opportunity to go to our Police Night
Out event for Auburn Hills. It's a big outreach event
that they do citywide, Like different cities participate in this event,
and you know, just to be able to meet and
talk with some people in the community, not necessarily even

(04:13):
our own members, just people in the community that we
serve and get to know them and here some of
their needs and you know, get some ideas going on
how we can you know, better help the community that
we're in.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
So that was in Auburn Hills and now this whole
month of September you've hooked up with Children's Hospital of
Michigan for a big initiative too. Yeah, here it is,
let's hear about it. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
Absolutely. This September we are doing a toy drive called
the Toddler Toy Box, and we're collecting baby and toddler
toys to be donated to the Children's Hospital of Michigan.
One of the really cool things about this toy drive
is that CCF is also matching every item donated, so
every donation is automatically doubled, whether that somebody brings it

(04:57):
into the branch, somebody makes a monetary donation at a branch,
or somebody shops via online. We have a predetermined shopping
list wish lists from the hospital where people can go
to these websites and order them and they'll come straight here.
So then in turn, we go out and you know,
match that donation.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
So it's all the way through September and you're matching,
which is really wonderful because that means what you donate
goes even further. Yes, And how did you guys get
hooked up together? More in and Emily, how did your
organizations become partners like this? Emily?

Speaker 4 (05:35):
Is it the sixth year?

Speaker 3 (05:37):
This is actually the ninth year.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Ninth year time flies.

Speaker 3 (05:42):
It really does.

Speaker 4 (05:44):
So we are so thankful that we've been able to
partner for nine years with this and every year they
have chosen to do kind of a different spin on it.
So it's really helped us out in a lot of
different areas of our hospital. So one year we did
kind of the large drive on cars. A couple of
years ago, I've never seen so many squash models in
my life. They did a big squash mollow. One last

(06:04):
year was games. So they've all really served a different
purpose in our hospital and being able to be connected
with them I think has really made the difference for
our patients and families.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
I love that that you've had themes. Is there a
theme for this year?

Speaker 3 (06:17):
This is our year for the toddler Toy Box.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
And what does that mean? Like, what do you what
kinds of things do you think you'll get from for
with regard to that kind of theme.

Speaker 3 (06:26):
So we are looking for infant rattles, building blocks, teethers,
interactive learning toys, and different little board books.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
Awesome, And Maureen, you know you guys have been together
for nine years. You guys said, so what is what
is important about the timing of your doing this? Like
why are you doing this now? Every year?

Speaker 4 (06:48):
So September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, So this is
a great month to just bring awareness to our community
just about the needs of kids that are hospitalized, whether
they have cancer, a blood disorder, or another diagnosis. Every year,
about ten thousand children are diagnosed with some form of cancer,
So we see a lot of kids in and out
of the hospital, whether they have a long stay or

(07:10):
they're coming every single week for an outpatient appointment.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
So ten thousand kids diagnosed with cancer, it's just heartbreaking.
So let's say, Emily, somebody wants to make a monetary
donation or they end up bringing some of the things
that you mentioned for the Toller toy box. What happens next.

Speaker 3 (07:29):
So all the donations are going to be taken to
the children's hospital. If there's monetary donations, we will go
out and shop ourselves for toys.

Speaker 2 (07:40):
Oh that sounds great.

Speaker 4 (07:41):
And then you yeah, it's such a fun day because
you know, we know that they're coming. We have it arranged.
We've had some really cool t shirts in the past,
so everybody's kind of dressed up and excited to be
able to accept all those gifts and really see you know,
how they're going to be able to serve our patients
and families.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
So nine years, what are some of the things that
you've seen that have made a difference in how does
it helped people at the hospital. So last year.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
Ours was specifically games, so we actually go through a
lot of games because a lot of them are not
able to be cleaned, so just being able to provide
those to patients and families nobody Typically people don't know
that they're going to come and stay in the hospital
and be overnight. So having things that are simple as
Uno games Sorry Connect four that just brings a little

(08:30):
bit of home into their hospital room and it can
really break the ice either for us to be able
to work with them. Kids are a little bit more
apt to talk to us and kind of disclose things
and talk about how they're feeling if we're doing something
versus if we're just having a one on one conversation.
And then the year before that was Squish Models, which
was so much fun. We've never seen so much. It's
just like a mountain of stuffed animals, and those always

(08:53):
bring so much joy to kids because you know, they're cute,
they have fun names, they love to sleep on them
or sleep with them, So that one was a great
one too.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
That's great, Yeah, because it can be really stressful to
you know, be in the hospital and then you think, oh,
like if I can play Uno to take my mind
off of what's going on, or like like you said,
just have the company of a squish mellow. It can
make such a difference to a child he does.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
Yeah, anything to bring them some normalcy and like like
Maureen said, just a little bit feeling of home is
super important too. I think everybody that's.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
Involved, Emily for a Cornerstone Community Financial Credit Union, what
does it mean to your organization and your staff members
to you know, be a part of this for so long.

Speaker 3 (09:39):
Well, part of our mission at Cornerstone is to be
in a huge part of the community that we serve.
So this partnership is really really special to us, and
it's just something that our entire company looks forward to
every year. We get so much participation from staff from members.
It just creates it's really great eat positive buzz of

(10:02):
energy and even to bring like a little bit of
hope into our own lives. Like you know, we're doing
this for these kids that need it, and you know
there's always just a little bit of satisfaction in that,
but to be able to make a difference in their lives,
that's probably the biggest part that plays into this, is

(10:23):
just being a part of our mission to make a
difference and you know, make a difference in our community.

Speaker 2 (10:29):
So there's probably somebody listening who is like, I'm gamed
for this. I can help out. I can either make
a monetary donation or I can bring in some stuff
for the Toddler Toy Box. What do they do if
they want to be involved?

Speaker 3 (10:41):
So, if they want to be involved, they can log
online to our website ccfinancial dot com slash toy Bocks.
There they will find wish lists from Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
If they purchase directly from that list, those items that
they purchase will be shipped directly to us here at
our headcore. Yes, eliminating any other touch point. We've tried

(11:03):
to make it as easy as possible for any ready
to participate.

Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yes, if you have things that you've purchased on your
own in store, you can bring them into any branch
location across Metro to toy We have huge, big yellow bins.
You can't miss them when you walk into one of
our branches. It has our Toddler Toy Box logo on them.
Any staff member will be happy to direct you to

(11:28):
the box to just put your donations into. And then
also if you don't have time to shop, you can
always come into the branch and make a monetary donation
as well.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
That's great and again all your locations can be found
at ccfinancial dot com as well.

Speaker 3 (11:41):
Yes, absolutely, yes, so.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
Maureene, there's a reason that it's a toddler toy box.
I mean, it's really really important that people participate in
this because there are very specific reasons you guys chose
this theme this year help us understand what's going on.

Speaker 4 (11:56):
Of course, so every year we talk and kind of
pitch some ideas. What are we seeing from a donation perspective,
what are some gap areas that we've had, And this
is always a pretty big gap area. Infinite tadlered toys
go really really fast in the hospital. It's our biggest
patient population, you know, and that really kind of breaks

(12:18):
everybody's heart, you know. We have our little babies, our
kids under three, being in the hospital and it's a
really unfamiliar place for them. A lot of infinite tailored
toys also have cloth on them, and that makes it
unusable for us once that patient has touched it. We
want to make sure that everything can be cleaned. So
plastic toys are great, but sometimes the fabric ones are

(12:38):
a little bit more comforting to our little babies too.
So the donations, once we get them, just go really
really fast.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
So that's why this is so very important that people participate.
You know, you said it's the largest largest population in
the hospital.

Speaker 4 (12:53):
Yep, kids under three.

Speaker 2 (12:55):
Kids under three, So drives like this are super important
to the hospital. Is this is this something that you
guys really rely on for your community.

Speaker 4 (13:05):
It is, and this is one of our best times
of year because we get a ton of donations going
into the holiday seasons. They get us through a majority
of the year and then right here August to October
we're like, oh, I hope it's gonna be okay.

Speaker 2 (13:20):
Wow. So it's a great point.

Speaker 4 (13:22):
Yeah, So this is an excellent time for us to
be able to accept this, to really push us into
that holiday season and make sure that our patients and
families can really get the same services as a kid
that was here in January or December.

Speaker 2 (13:35):
That is a great point giving certainly is seasonal, so
it probably is a little stressed, a little bit of
a stressful time for the hospital at this point. So
Emily your organization really comes through at a really important time.
It sounds like, yeah, absolutely, So you guys were talking
about the different themes that you've had over the course
of the years. Tell us what it looks like, Maureen, Like,

(13:59):
what what is the experience for a child who gets
a gift like this when they're in the hospital.

Speaker 4 (14:05):
A lot of times it can be really surprising, especially
if they haven't been in the hospital a lot that
you know, we bring things to their room again, you know,
either to help teach them or help have conversations, and
then it's kind of an extra surprise that usually they
get to keep those items. Like I said, a lot
of things can't be reused and we want kids to
be able to continue to use them and.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Feel a little bit more normal in the hospital.

Speaker 4 (14:30):
So it's you know, always a surprise, and families are
so thankful and appreciative.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
Oh that's great, And does it do the parents? How
do they feel about it? They've it's got to move
them to watch the child who's going through this too,
to see that it gives them some comfort.

Speaker 4 (14:45):
And I think that they can get some glimpses too
of a kid that's having a really hard day and
we bring in something super normal like legos, and they
get that glimpse of this is what my kid looks
like and it should always look like at home. So
I think it really give us an instills hope for
pairsars that you know that our treatment is going to work,
kids are going to get better, and they're gonna be
able to go back where they should be, which is

(15:06):
not in our hospital, which is at home.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
Marien, tell me how this, how you see this affects
the Children's Hospital of Michigan staff being involved in something
like this.

Speaker 4 (15:16):
I think just the ability to one have the partnership
with Cornerstone so that we know that we have kind
of people on the outsides that are helping us out,
that are rooting for our patients and families and want
to make the difference. But then also as like a
larger staff, that we just have those opportunities to make
someone's day a little bit better. Without donors like Cornerstone

(15:38):
Community Credit Union, we wouldn't always meet have the ability
to do that, and that changes the way that we
interact with patients and families.

Speaker 2 (15:47):
Emily, what do you what do you want the community
to know about about this event? What do you want
people to feel and how they might be motivated to
come into one of your locations and provide their donation
or like you said, go to see financial dot com
forward slash toy box and find the list super easy.
I was like, Wow, she's even even providing the list
of items they need and it'll be shipped right a way.

(16:09):
You don't have to do anything. It's like as easy
as any Amazon and getting it.

Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, exactly. One of the things that you know, we'd
really like to express to the community is that it
doesn't take much to be involved. You know, everybody has
a chance to participate, and you know we have things
like big items like well not big items, but items
like this or then we have teethers too, so there's
really you know, any little thing will go a long way.

(16:36):
So just to have everybody in our community feel included
that this isn't just a children's hospital event or a
cornerstone event, that it's a community event and you know,
we're all better together. So that's probably our that at
the forefront is that we can just do all of
this together and bring hope and just a little you know,

(16:57):
comfort to these kids.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
So you guys had said ten thousand kids are diagnosed
with cancer every year.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
Ye, under the age of fifteen.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
Under the age of fifteen. Is that in Michigan or
is that? Where is that in the US? In the US? Wow?
Emily and Maureene, how long have you guys worked together
on this program?

Speaker 3 (17:17):
This is actually my first year on this initiative, so
I'm really excited to be a part of it.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
Oh that's great, and Marine, what about you.

Speaker 4 (17:25):
I have been here at the Children's hospital for seventeen
years and then involved with this donation drive I think
for the past four.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
Oh that's great, Emily, you have so much to look
forward to and watching all the toys come in and
how you're going to help people.

Speaker 3 (17:40):
That's got to be inspired.

Speaker 2 (17:42):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (17:42):
Absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 2 (17:44):
There's nothing like working for an organization a company who
has meaningful things that they do in the community to help.
That must mean a lot to you with your organization.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
Oh absolutely, it sure does. It's one of the reasons
why I'm here. So it's just the things that we
are able to do in this community. Are just it's
like the icing on the cake for my job, you know,
it's I love my job anyway, but I get to
do this stuff on top of it, and it just
it doesn't get any better than that.

Speaker 2 (18:16):
That's great. And Maureen, when the time comes and you've
seen everything that's happened from the efforts of the community
participating with Cornerstone Community Financial Credit Union, what do you
hope happens inside of your organization from all these toys?

Speaker 4 (18:33):
Just the continuation of being able to serve our patients
and families and the best way that we know how
So really having those resources at hand, things are easy
for the staff to be able to grab to use
right away. It does really make a big difference to
our staff and then to our patients and families.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
That's great. So remind people if they want to participate,
how can they get involved?

Speaker 3 (18:55):
They can go right onto ccfinancial dot com, forward Slash
toybox and look up the wish lists from Amazon, Target
and Walmart and have stuff delivered right to our headquarters.

Speaker 2 (19:07):
Emily, give us in your words why they should do that? Yes?

Speaker 3 (19:10):
Why not is a better question?

Speaker 2 (19:12):
Oh? I love it?

Speaker 3 (19:12):
Why not? Why not is the better question? I think
there's something to say about somebody who wants to help
somebody that they don't even know they're not they're not
going to know who these the who hold on sorry,
they're not going to know where their toys go or

(19:34):
what child ends up with their toys. They don't know
who those kids. And I think there's just so much
to say about that that you know, we're giving in
spite of not knowing or you know, not knowing who
this will go to or that will go to. It's
just the bottom line is to help and fill a
need and a philovoid.

Speaker 2 (19:53):
That's great.

Speaker 4 (19:54):
And Maureen, what would you say one of the infinite
tathered toys are the cutest toys out.

Speaker 3 (19:58):
There them out They just have like such cute stuff.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
Now you're the shopping the shopping fund angle, yes.

Speaker 4 (20:12):
And really you know a lot of those items are
really making those first experiences and have a teaching aspect
to them too, So it's kind of like a double
dip there about you know, what kind of experience do
we want little kids to have in the hospital setting.

Speaker 2 (20:25):
That's great. So just a reminder going through going on
through all of September. You can go on to Ccfinancial
dot com forwards slash toy Box. You can pick out
an item from any one of the lists that they have.
It will be shipped directly to the organization and then
it's matched by Cornerstone Community Financial Credit Union. So it's

(20:46):
double the goodwill, double the doubles and help in the community.
So through September only, please consider doing that and helping
out anything else. We want to let everybody know while
we have what you have, both of you.

Speaker 3 (20:58):
No, I think that's it. Thank you so much for everything.

Speaker 2 (21:03):
Oh yeah, no, I really appreciate you guys being on
and what you're doing together to try and support kids
in hospitals just can be very stressful, like we discussed,
so thank you for everything you're doing in the community
to help those families. Our guests today have been Emily Morse,
she's an assistant branch manager with Cornerstone Community Financial Credit

(21:24):
Union who's doing the Toddler Toy Box drive, and Maureen Stye,
who's the manager of child Life at Children's Hospital of Michigan,
partnering in the month of September during Pediatric Pediatric Cancer
Awareness Month too to help our kids have a better experience.
Thank you guys for everything that you're doing, and thanks
for joining me today, thanks for having us