Here’s how it works:

Someone contacts you asking for a donation to their charity. It sounds like a group you’ve heard of, it seems real, and you want to help.

How can you tell what charity is legitimate and what’s a scam? Scammers want your money quickly. Charity scammers often pressure you to donate right away. They might ask for cash, and might even offer to send a courier or ask you to wire money. Scammers often refuse to send you information about the charity, give you details, or tell you how the money will be used. They might even thank you for a pledge you don’t remember making.

Here’s what you can do:

  1. Take your time. Tell callers to send you information by mail. For requests you get in the mail, do your research. Is it a real group? What percentage of your donation goes to the charity? Is your donation tax-deductible? How do they want you to pay? Rule out anyone who asks you to send cash or wire money. Chances are, that’s a scam.
  2. Pass this information on to a friend. It’s likely that nearly everyone you know gets charity solicitations. This information could help someone else spot a scam.

Please report scams

If you spot a scam, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Call the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261 or go online at ftc.gov/complaint.

Your complaint can help protect other people. By filing a complaint, you can help the FTC’s investigators identify scammers and stop them before they can get someone’s hard earned money. It really makes a difference.

 

Amy Ensor, teacher at West Side Elementary, is the latest Northeast Community Credit Union Helping Teachers Teach grant winner.

Ensor applied for the grant to provide book bins in her classroom library for her Accelerated Reading program. In Accelerated Reader, students have individual book levels to read at and complete quizzes.

“With the book bins, I can arrange the books in a way that would help the students be able to check out books appropriate on their level of ability,” Ensor said. “The program helps children grow comprehension skills and reading levels. Most importantly, Accelerated Reading helps foster a greater love for reading.”

Northeast Community Credit Union awards $300 every month to a classroom to be utilized for classroom needs, classroom activities, and academic enrichment.  Helping Teachers Teach is open to teachers within Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Sullivan and Washington counties who are members of Northeast Community Credit Union. Area teachers may become members online or at any NCCU location and can download the grant application on the credit union’s website:  www.BeMyCU.org.

Susan Dugger, teacher at Wandell Early Learning Center, is the latest Northeast Community Credit Union Helping Teachers Teach grant winner.

Dugger applied for the grant to purchase a new rug for her pre-K classroom. The new rug will replace an older, well-used rug in the class.

“The rug is used very often throughout the school day as a meeting place for teaching,” Dugger said. “Each day, it is used for circle time, English Language Arts, and large group learning.”

Northeast Community Credit Union awards $300 every month to a classroom to be utilized for classroom needs, classroom activities, and academic enrichment. Helping Teachers Teach is open to teachers within Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Sullivan and Washington counties who are members of Northeast Community Credit Union. Area teachers may become members online or at any NCCU location and can download the grant application on the credit union’s website: www.BeMyCU.org.

Medicare information sessions will be provided as a public service for those who have questions regarding Medicare open enrollment which lasts October 15 – December 7 this year.

Representatives from United Healthcare and Humana will be on site at the main office at various times to speak with those interested – it’s best to call for appointments but the reps will also speak with walk-ins as time permits. The schedule is:

United Healthcare on October 24 & November 7, 10 am-2 pm both days (Sam Monroe, 423-742-6252)

Humana/ Blue Cross Blue Shield on October 31 & November 9, 10 am – 2 pm both days (Shelia Minier, 423-534-2969)

Northeast Community Credit Union is proud to sponsor the Creative Souls series – a series of 8 monthly meetups featuring at least one area artist.
The next Creative Souls event will be held on October 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Building 520 in downtown Elizabethton. On Nov. 14, Dr. Roya Farzanah of East Tennessee State University and the ETSU Flute Choir will be the featured artists. On Dec. 12, the Bonnie Kate Community Theater – Readers Theatre will be at the meetup.
The Creative Souls Series goal is to provide a deeper community connection to the arts while helping the public to gain a new appreciation and engagement with creative processes.

Northeast Community Credit Union is helping to support students as they prepare for a new school year  by sponsoring both of Carter County’s backpack programs.

NCCU donated $1,000 to both of Carter County’s Back to School Bashes. The Back to School Bashes gives away thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies to students in the Carter County and Elizabethton City school systems each year.

Back to School Bash Ministries will host an event this Saturday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hampton High School. The Bash will have free school supplies, food, activities, characters and more. Items will be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis and children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Elizabethton City Schools will be hosting their Back to School Bash on Monday, July 31 from 6-8 p.m. at Elizabethton High School. This bash will have free backpacks, school supplies, snacks, and games

students.

 

and activities on the field for children.

Northeast Community Credit Union will be at each Back to School Bash with special giveaways for

Northeast Community Credit Union has been serving the community since October 1952 when it was chartered as a credit union by the State of Tennessee. Northeast Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative. It is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Carter, Johnson, Washington, Unicoi and Sullivan counties along with their immediate family members.

For more information, visit www.BeMyCU.org.

Brittany Boone, English teacher and drama/theater sponsor for Cloudland High School, is the latest Northeast Community Credit Union Helping Teachers Teach grant winner.

Boone applied for the Helping Teachers Teach to help purchase costumes, backdrops, and microphones for an upcoming school production of Alice in Wonderland.

“Drama is such a wonderful experience for students,” Boone said. “The program gives students an opportunity to practice and hone public speaking, organization, reading, memorization, and artistic skills. Not to mention the bonds it builds between students.”

Northeast Community Credit Union awards $300 every month to a classroom to be utilized for classroom needs, classroom activities, and academic enrichment.  Helping Teachers Teach is open to teachers within Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Sullivan and Washington counties who are members of Northeast Community Credit Union. Area teachers may become members online or at any NCCU location and can download the grant application on the credit union’s website:  www.BeMyCU.org.

Northeast Community Credit Union was voted BEST Credit Union in the Johnson City Press Carter County Readers’ Choice.

NCCU was also named BEST mortgage lender, financial and investment firm, and notary.

Thank YOU for your vote and support for your hometown credit union.

 

Jennifer Banks, social studies teacher for Elizabethton High School, is the latest Northeast Community Credit Union Helping Teachers Teach grant winner.

 

Banks applied for the Helping Teachers Teach to help purchase a year-long subscription to BreakOut Edu, high-quality digital escape rooms aligned with history and social studies topics. The program includes hands-on materials and allows educators to create their own escape rooms in the system.

 

“Students will work collaboratively on BreakOut and that requires critical thinking and reading skills,” Banks said. “They are extremely motivated by the format, which I can tailor to their specific content-based course of study.”

 

Northeast Community Credit Union awards $300 every month to a classroom to be utilized for classroom needs, classroom activities, and academic enrichment.  Helping Teachers Teach is open to teachers within Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, Sullivan and Washington counties who are members of Northeast Community Credit Union. Area teachers may become members online or at any NCCU location and can download the grant application on the credit union’s website:  www.BeMyCU.org.