Community Programs & Partnerships
Quinte First Joins Canada 150 Volunteer Challenge!
Credit unions take their contributions to local communities seriously – so seriously in fact that in 2015, 72 per cent of credit unions enabled their employees to participate in voluntary activities as part of their paid work, this is a practice that Quinte First supports. Add this to the 80 per cent of credit unions that reported in the same year that their employees used their own free time to represent the credit union at community activities and organizations, which Quinte First staff certainly do, and you have an incredible example of how credit unions put people before profits throughout the year.
As part of Canada’s 150th celebrations, the Canadian Credit Union Association (CCUA) is hoping to capitalize on this outpouring of generosity by issuing its own system-wide challenge: 150,000 volunteer hours invested in local communities across the country by year-end. Their goal is to have every Canadian credit union contribute volunteer hours to reach a grand total of 150,000 volunteer hours this year!
Quinte First Credit Union is excited to be a part of this challenge! Our goal is to donate a total of 1000 hours, but we believe that together with our members and our community, we can double that! Quinte First Credit Union is proud to be part of a business sector that cares about more than just the bottom line. We know our staff, members, and Board of Directors are up for the challenge and we want to invite everyone in the Quinte community to join us in celebrating Canada’s volunteer spirit!
If you are a member of Quinte First Credit Union, and you are involved in volunteer activities, we invite you to participate and share your stories with us about how you are making a difference in our community.
We welcome all participants, no matter how big or small! Talk to any staff member at Quinte First Credit Union for details on how to participate in the Canada 150 Volunteer Challenge!
For more information contact Alexandra Norton at Quinte First Credit Union, 613-966-4111 ext. 268 or email anorton@quintefirst.ca
Thank you everyone and sky’s the limit here! Let’s show Canada what our Quinte First community is made of!!
Bike-A-Licious
During the hot summer months of June, July and August Quinte First Credit Union introduced this fun summer project as part of our “Kindness Campaign”.
Our Bike–A–Licious student driver who we have named “Mr Cool” has been riding around the city handing out ( at no cost ) cold water, freezies, popsicles and other cool treats for kids and adults of all ages as our Quinte First way of giving back to the community. Every year we plan to partner with a local business to hand out gifts of kindness and this summer it was Peter Smith Chevrolet. This was the first of many summers of cooling down the streets of Belleville and Trenton.
All 4 Each Program
Quinte First Credit Union has been spreading the good word about the benefits of Co-operative Business to local high schools since early 2015. All 4 Each is a non-profit program offering free presentations and resources on the Co-operative Business model and Budgeting Basics.
We also offer a Financial Literacy presentation aligned with the Ontario Secondary school curriculum and designed to introduce high school students to the basics of personal finance. We have partnered with 9 schools in the Quinte area and presented to over 650 students to date!
The feedback from teachers and students has been amazing and in 2016 we were excited to be able to mentor one of our schools as they become one of the first schools in Ontario to open their own student run co-operative Smoothie Shop! We are thrilled to announce that in 2017 we were awarded a $10,000 Community Empowerment Grant from Concentra for the “Classroom Co-operatives” initiative. This grant is providing funding for three additional schools to open their very own Classroom Co-operative in September 2017.Click here for more information on opening your own Classroom Co-operative.
See the Student Run Co-operative in SNAPD
Not only do we offer free presentations and resources through the All 4 Each program, but we are pleased to offer 2 sponsorships for students to attend the Co-operative Young Leaders Camp. CYL is an experiential learning program which integrates co-operative principles with teambuilding practices, empowers youth to be visionaries, and equips them with the change-making tools they need to excel.
Learn more about the Co-operative Young Leaders Camp
We also have a Dragon’s Den type contest, run every year through the Ontario Co-operative association. Students can win up to a $1000 just for pitching an idea for a Co-operative business!
Community Financial Literacy
At Quinte First we love being a part of the Quinte community! We believe it’s important to give back to our community through great programs like our free financial literacy workshops. Let us help you find the path to financial well-being by giving you the confidence to make great financial decisions.
We offer financial literacy workshops for all ages:
Adults
Join us for one of our free Each One Teach One adult financial literacy workshops. There is no cost to attend and no registration required. There are no sales pitches involved, just helpful information in plain language to help improve your financial confidence and make better money decisions. We have workshops available on many topics like Pay-Day loans, RRSP’s & TFSA’s, Credit Cards, Identity Theft, The Importance of Filing Taxes, RESP’s, and much more.
Check out our Community Events page for a list of upcoming workshops near you!Learn more about our Financial Literacy program
Secondary and Post-Secondary
We offer presentations on budgeting and basic financial literacy for Grades 7-12 and college students. We have partnered with 10 area high schools and with Loyalist College to present to over 700 students to date. Our presentations are in line with curriculum guidelines for business and careers classes, as well as having practical applications for art, music, hospitality and skills based courses.Learn more about All 4 Each
Primary
Quinte First believes students are never too young to start learning about managing their money! That’s why we offer a budgeting workshop for children in grades 2-6. We have fun while learning about budgets, saving money and wants vs. needs! Our Funny Money workshop has been offered at local libraries and at area schools with a great response from both students and adults!
To book a Funny Money workshop, email Alexandra Norton at anorton@quintefirst.ca.
For more information or to talk about hosting a free financial literacy workshop for your community organization or school; please contact Alexandra Norton at 613-966-4111 ext. 268 or email at anorton@quintefirst.ca.
Children’s Safety Village Belleville
The Children’s Safety Village is an educational centre specifically designed to teach road safety to children in grades 2,3 and 4. The village is located at 93 Dundas St. E. Belleville, right behind the Belleville Police Station. Quinte First Credit Union is a proud partner in support of this program along with the Ontario Credit Union Charitable Foundation.
