John lund

Gratitude for the Service of Others

John LundBy John B. Lund, President & Chief Executive Officer

On a recent visit to one of the country’s larger cities, I arrived several hours prior to my first meeting. With the extra time, I decided to go for a walk/run in an effort to get my daily steps in.

As I headed down the street, I came upon a small park with a three-lane, quarter-mile track around the perimeter, which made it the ideal place to exercise without having to deal with traffic, etc.

During my first lap, I noticed an older gentleman pushing a young man in a wheelchair who was mentally & physically disabled. The two were softly conversing, with the boy smiling and clearly pleased to have the company. On another turn, I saw the man massaging the shoulders and neck of his younger companion. The next time around, the gentleman had moved to a location offering a different view. This heartfelt interaction between the two continued the entire hour I spent at the park.

By himself, this young man couldn’t experience the basic joys of life many of us take for granted. Yet this kind gentleman intuitively perceived how he could help the boy savor this valuable time outside on beautiful warm afternoon.

As I made my way around and around the track, time seemed to pass much more quickly as I forgot about my minor aches and pain by focusing on the beautiful act of service I saw. I felt a powerful sense of gratitude toward this gentleman. It was inspirational witnessing such thoughtful and tender service. This motivated me to think a little bit less about myself and to be more sensitive to the needs of others.

During November, we celebrate Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving. Hopefully, we can all pause to recognize and openly thank those who have served this country and those who are now defending our freedom all over the world. Gratitude is a simple yet powerful force for good and we can always be generous in displaying it.

I hope each of you has a wonderful season. We appreciate your membership in and loyalty to America First. We look forward to a lifetime relationship.

Group of people at a broadcast.

October’s “Give Back” Winner! 10/25/16

Morning Blend Give Back Winner

With the arrival of fall, this season America First Credit Union is here to serve the community by giving back at various community events, including, Safe Street, a Halloween extravaganza! ! The locally owned and deeply rooted business will be launching their “Warm the Soles†program to help provide shoes to children in need.

For more information, click here

This segment is sponsored by America First Credit Union.

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Find the Hero Within

John LundBy John B. Lund, President and Chief Executive Officer

What is a hero? Are they like characters we see in movies with supernatural skills, fancy gadgets, or special outfits?

As part of an internal initiative, we brought in a group of kids ranging in age from two to 10. We posed a series of questions to them regarding the concept of heroes and recorded their responses. The wisdom and honesty of children is inspiring. To follow are excerpts of our inquiries and their answers.

What is a hero to you? Someone who protects you. Someone who does good things and serves others, [who] helps people and is nice to them. Someone who is kind and generous. Fights bad guys and saves the day. A person [who] is there when you need them.

Why do we need heroes? [To] help people when they are down. To protects us. To help us live happily. To put fires out. Protect our city. To save the day. If you are sad, you need a shoulder to cry on.

How do you become a hero? Being nice to people and picking up trash. Protecting people. By cleaning up my brother’s room. By doing what’s right. By being friendly and nice. Helping my friends and keeping them safe. Telling the truth. Being a friend to those [who] need a friend. You don’t need super powers to be a hero, you just need to help people.

Who is a hero in your life? Mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, military guys, firefighters, police, Jesus.

Why are they your heroes? They give me hugs. Helps me when having trials. Makes a bad day a better day. Taught me to swim. Protects [us] from bad stuff like smoking. They are kind, sweet and loving. Does the dishes. Helps me understand problems. Loves me. Stands up for what’s right. There for me all the time.

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Padlock

Security Update: Maintaining Electronic Safety for all Seasons

Online security is important for your financial health, no matter the time of year. We’re here to provide you with some simple steps you can take to keep yourself safe during the busy fall months.

• Malicious greetings — Emails often invite recipients to click on a card, video, or animation. While some are harmless, cybercriminals can imbed viruses and spyware in them; open all file attachments and URLs with care.

• Phishing for friends — Social media is often where phishing attacks take place. Think twice about adding friends you don’t really know and never divulge personal data to anyone online.

• Devices gone missing — Annually, thousands of travelers will lose their laptops, smartphones & tablets during the coming months. Therefore, it’s wise never to leave a boarding gate, vehicle, or security checkpoint without taking a mental inventory of your electronics.

• Dangerous downloads — Always use common sense when downloading games, file-sharing tools, streaming clients, and other third-party apps. Deploy anti-virus software to detect malware.

For more information regarding how your credit union is working to guard your resources, please visit us here.

Food in a box

Donate to End Hunger

There are many of our family, friends & neighbors who go without adequate food every week and those who don’t know where they will get their next meals.

Thankfully, your generosity has always worked in opposition to this trend and we’re again asking you to ensure the Greater Good food drive is a lasting and successful tradition.

We’ll be accepting canned & non-perishable items — as well as other necessities, such as toothbrushes, diapers, soap and toilet paper — at our branches through Saturday, October 22.

You’ll be entered into a drawing for an Apple Watch for each contribution. And you’ll be making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate & the communities we share.

Click here to locate an office near you. Then stop by and donate. We appreciate your support.

*Drawing eligibility & conditions apply. Must be 18 years old to participate.

Individual on a computer

America First Credit Union Presented “Best Credit Union Website” in 2016 WebAward Competition

Riverdale, Utah – (Sept. 27, 2016) – America First Credit Union, a not-for-profit, member-owned financial institution servicing Utah and Nevada and the 12th largest credit union in the U.S. in terms of assets, took home the coveted “Best Credit Union Website” award from the 2016 Web Marketing Association’s WebAward competition.

Each year, the Web Marketing Association’s WebAward Competition names the Best Credit Union website. Best websites are selected by judging the entered websites using seven criteria: design, ease of use, copywriting, interactivity, use of technology, innovation and content. Now in its 19th year, the WebAwards are recognized as the premier industry based Website Award program in the world.

“It’s an honor for America First to receive this esteemed accolade from the Web Marketing Association,” said Rich Syme, executive vice president of electronic services and product management at America First Credit Union. “We provide our members the absolute best in products and services and our web presence reflects that. We’re proud to have taken the top honor in this category.”

The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and development of the best websites on the World Wide Web. Staffed by volunteers, this organization is made up of Internet marketing, online advertising, PR and top web site design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, internet marketing and website promotion.

For additional information, visit www.americafirst.com, America First Credit Union on Facebook, Twitter, @AmericaFirst on Instagram and Pinterest.

Donate to fight hunger

America First Credit Union Launches 12th Annual Community Food Drive to Serve Those in Need

Food DriveRiverdale, Utah – (Sept. 12, 2016) –

Dedicated to helping the underprivileged in the communities it services, Utah’s largest credit union, America First Credit Union today revs up its giving to serve others with the launch of its 12th Annual Community Food Drive, which runs through Saturday, Oct. 22. All locations throughout Utah and Southern Nevada will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items to distribute to local food pantries and food banks.

In addition to the food drive, the community-focused credit union will donate $5,000 in turkeys to Utah Food Bank in preparation for the holiday season. All collected items will be donated to the Utah Food Bank, Three Square Las Vegas, and Cappallappa Family Reserve Center.

“The season of giving is upon us and America First has made this annual food drive a priority as we continue our efforts to serve others, not just during the holidays, but all year long,†said John Lund, President and CEO of America First. “The need for food in our communities is strong and once again we look for help from the community, employees and members to give what they can in both Utah and Southern Nevada as we lead into the holiday months.â€

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Choose us and your door to success will always be open.

Learn more here.