Credit Union Comes to Aid of Groups Companies Best Corporate Volunteer (Small/Medium Firm): Telesis Community Credit Union By BRAD SMITH Staff Reporter Last spring, Esta Herman, the principal at Vintage Magnet School in North Hills, was trying to figure out howo to come up with the funds necessary to rehabilitate the grade school’s aging playground. Parents at the Los Angeles Unified School District campus, a kindergarten through 5th grade mathematics and science magnet school that takes students from across the city, had raised some money; while the school district would provide some bond funds as well. But Vintage was still shy of the $5,000 needed to completely replace the playground equipment. “We’re not a neighborhood school, which actually makes fundraising more difficult,” Herman said. “You need to work that much harder sometimes.” As Herman tried to round up the funds, a student mentioned that her aunt worked at Chatsworth-based Telesis Community Credit Union. The school got in touch with the aunt, who got in touch with her employer. “She said they were very big about contributing to the community,” Herman said. “I thought maybe they’d give us a box of pencils and paper, which is normally what we get but they called and said `what are your needs?’ ” A few weeks later, after Telesis had provided 20 percent of the cost of the new playground equipment, it was installed. “They were wonderful,” Herman said. “The kids are using it, it looks great it would be great if we had more companies like that.” The donation is par for the course for Telesis, which has nine branches across the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys and eastern Ventura County. “As a credit union, the philosophy is people helping people,” said Christopher Conte, the credit union’s vice president of marketing. “We believe in being here not only to help individuals in business, but to give back to our community, in the way of dollars and in the way of man hours.” Telesis, chartered in 1966, is a full-service, not-for-profit financial institution open to anyone living or working in the communities it serves, from Van Nuys to Valencia. With $383 million in assets, the credit union has donated more than $60,000 and 1,850 hours of volunteer time by employees to charities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Direct cash outlays included $5,000 in scholarships to high school students with high grade point averages and outstanding records of community service. Along with local schools, Telesis has supported youth organizations ranging from the Girl Scouts to AYSO, Youth Football, and Girls Softball; health care efforts to benefit treatment and research into multiple sclerosis, cancer, and AIDS; and community organizations ranging from the March of Dimes to Friends of the Library chapters to senior centers and the Fair Housing Council of the San Fernando Valley.
