Community First hosts meaningful moveUP Money Experiences for Teens this summer

Dear Valued Member,

I wanted to let you know about an amazing event we hosted a couple of weeks ago. It was a special moveUP Money Experience for Teens at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp! The event was a real life money simulation for students ages 13-18, in which participants were given new identities including careers, monthly incomes, debt, families, and educational backgrounds. The teens had to learn how to stick to a monthly budget and create financial goals. They did this by visiting 10 real-world merchants, including a car dealership, realtor, grocery store, clothing store, travel agent, home essentials store, mall, utilities, kid care store, and a credit union.

The goal of the event was to provide students with a glimpse into what managing their money in the future will really look like, including costs associated with living expenses, managing household income, and saving. We stressed the importance of establishing a monthly budget and the need to build savings to help them live the lifestyle they want. We also taught students basic money management skills, such as how a checking account works, understanding their available balance, how to write checks, and how retirement/savings accounts work.

We regularly receive feedback from members and the communities we serve about the need for financial education for youth. Additionally, we believe that there is inherent value in establishing positive financial habits early in life and these student experiences are our way of giving students the tools (and confidence) they need to start building those habits now. Within the past two years, approximately 1,800 students have participated in our moveUP Money Experience for Teens. At this specific event alone, approximately 175 students participated in the program. Special thanks to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp for their partnership and Duval County Public Schools and Florida Blue for providing us with additional volunteers. This was an incredibly successful event. Be sure to register for our next moveUP Money Experience for Teens later this month! That event's information is also in this newsletter.

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible. This was a great way to instill the life skill of financial management in these students in collaboration with their parents and our wonderful community partners. We hope these moveUP events give you just one more reason to Love Where You Bank. ■

Community First Credit Union to Begin Renovations at New Neptune Beach Branch

HOT OFF THE PRESSES! "Community First Credit Union of Florida to Begin Renovations at New Neptune Beach Branch." We have submitted our permit application to begin renovations/expansion of a former bank branch location in Neptune Beach. We purchased the former Atlantic Coast Bank branch and property at 1425 Atlantic Blvd. in December 2018. The Neptune Beach site will become a new Community First branch by 2020. Check out our unveiled exterior and interior digital renderings of the new branch above and read the full news release below. ■

Stories that will make you Love Where You Bank:

Board Member Elizabeth Andersen | Duval County Public Schools, District 2

Elizabeth Andersen is a former Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) teacher, an experienced non-profit agency worker in the mental health field, owns her own business, and is a newly elected School Board Member for DCPS in District 2. Throughout all of her roles of serving children and communities in Jacksonville, she recognizes a common thread in her work. “Everything is really rooted in what I see as a calling to help people realize their full potential. I believe in the goodness of people. Data points and dollar signs are certainly important, but if I am successful in four years, it will be about creating a culture throughout the district and in communities where we understand the value of relationships,” she said. She’s a long-time Community First member and her story of putting the community first inspired us to share her passion. ■

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July 1, July 17, July 23 | Jacksonville Mom Summer Park Hop Series

We're proud to partner with Jacksonville Mom to present the 6th Annual Summer Park Hop Series! Our first event on June 20 was a huge success! There are three additional Park Hops taking place in July:

July 1: Fernandina Beach Pirate Playground from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
July 17: Boone Park from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
July 23: Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville from 7:05 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

The Park Hops are free and will take place at different parks throughout the First Coast. Bring the kids and meet other moms from your neighborhood as you explore all of the great outdoor spaces that Jacksonville has to offer. We'll see you at the park! ■

July 2, July 16, July 23 | 2-for-1 at the Box Office for CFCU Members

Join us at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville on July 2, 16, and 23 for some Affordable Family Fun at a Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp game! Tickets will be 2-for-1 at the box office for Community First Credit Union members who use their CFCU credit or debit cards. And don't forget about the Jumbo Shrimp Debit Card, which gives card holders a 10% discount on merchandise, a free small fountain drink with any concession stand purchase, and $2 off tickets purchased on game day at the box office. We'll see you at the ball park! ■

July 4 | Light Up Amelia: Hometown 4th of July Celebration

You are invited to a Hometown Celebration on Thursday, July 4th from 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. in Downtown Amelia Island (1 S. Front Street). There will be food trucks, vendors, a bouncy house, face painting, ice cream, and music from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. The National Anthem begins at 8:45 p.m. and the fireworks show (presented by Community First Credit Union!) begins promptly at 9:00 p.m. Parking is located in Lots C & D (south of the marina). Don't forget about the Patriotic Pet Contest! Dress up your pet in red, white, and blue and upload your pics to the Light Up Amelia Facebook page! ■

July 4 | Independence Day

This is a friendly reminder that the credit union will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2019 in observance of Independence Day. This includes our downtown headquarters and all of our branches. For your convenience, Online and Mobile Banking services are available 24/7! ■

Night Owl Cinema Series at The Amp St. Augustine:

July 12 | The Endless Summer

The Amp St. Augustine and Community First Credit Union of Florida proudly continue the return of the free, family-friendly summer film series, “Community First Night Owl Cinema.” The wildly popular film series draws thousands of moviegoers who come to enjoy free, family-friendly films projected on a giant 18 by 32 foot screen on the Amp’s main stage. The series is free and open to all ages, with free parking and concessions available for purchase. ■

Now - July 16 | UNF Orientation

Welcome new Ospreys! University of North Florida's new student orientation has started and runs through July 16. Parents: did you know that we have a Community First branch on the UNF campus? Stop by and learn more about the special products and services we offer just for UNF students! Don't have time to stop by? Text the word 'UNF' to 797979 to get more information or check out the link below. "Swoop" into school this summer and discover why thousands of Ospreys Love Where They Bank! ■

Aug. 2 | Help Us "Stuff the Bus" with School Supplies for Classrooms in Need!

Stuff the Bus is a drive to collect school supplies for United Way of Northeast Florida's Full Service School initiative. The Full Service Schools Resource Center supports 87 schools in Duval County. Teachers have access to these much needed supplies for their students through 8 depot centers. We encourage groups (businesses, church groups, and other organizations) to have their own internal drives and even compete with each other! Then bring the items to The Markets at Town Center on Friday, August 2.

Why should you donate? Thousands of kids start the school year without the tools they need. As a result, teachers often reach into their own pockets at an average of $600 per year. These supplies will be a valuable resource. What should you donate? Pencils, rulers, pens, crayons, markers, highlighters, scissors, erasers, paper, notebooks, composition books, 3-ring binders, folders, compasses, backpacks, pencil boxes, hand sanitizer, tissues, glue sticks, index cards, calculators, etc. Let's #StuffTheBusJax! ■

Aug. 5 | 2019 Clay County Teacher Appreciation Expo

All Clay County teachers (public, private, and charter) are invited to join us for the exclusive 2019 Teacher Appreciation Expo! We are proud to partner with the Clay County Chamber of Commerce Foundation! We are uniting efforts to assist teachers in getting ready for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year. To show you how much we appreciate you, we’re giving away free school supplies! Plus, enjoy a variety of special offers and giveaways from local businesses at the expo.

Just some of the special offers from Community First Credit Union include free school supplies and an opportunity to enter to win $1,000 for a classroom makeover! For more details, visit the Clay Chamber's Eventbrite page below. We look forward to seeing you at the Thrasher-Horne Center on August 5! ■

Now - Sept. 2 | Expedition: Dinosaur at the Museum of Science & History (MOSH)

Need a cool place to beat the heat this summer? You won't want to miss this traveling exhibition that celebrates and explores the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils in the early 20th Century! Expedition Dinosaur will feature large scale animatronic dinosaurs as well as many special exhibits. Membership perk alert! The MOSH has a special offer for all Community First Credit Union members and staff: Show a valid CFCU debit or credit card or employee ID to get $5 off a regular priced ticket Now – Sept. 2, 2019. Limit 4 admissions per member/employee. ■

July 13-14 | Community First Pop-Up Branch at the Orange Park Mall

Join us Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14, for our Community First Pop-Up Branch at the Orange Park Mall! For the first time ever, Community First Credit Union has partnered with the Orange Park Mall to create an exceptional moveUP Money Experience just for you! Don’t miss out on your chance to visit us inside your favorite mall (in front of Belk). We'll be providing exclusive offers and opening accounts on site for anyone interested. Get free refreshments and treats with financial tips, as well as cool surprises all weekend! The Orange Park Mall boasts unique one-stop family shopping, dining and entertainment destination that features more than 120 retailers, a movie theatre, a themed children’s play area, and a 400-seat food court. Experience it for yourself and visit us at the mall! ■

July 27 | moveUP Money Experience for Teens

Join us Saturday, July 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Orange Park Mall for a special moveUP Money Experience for Teens! This free financial workshop walks teens through managing money in the real world. During our moveUP Money Experience, students will: be given new identities including careers, families, and educational backgrounds; learn how to stick to a budget and create financial goals; and visit with real world merchants like car dealerships, realtors, and more. We encourage all teens between the ages of 13-18 to attend with their parents. We'll be providing teens with several special offers during this event! Space is limited so reserve your spot today! We look forward to seeing you there. ■

Check out the Community First Blog!

Did you know that Community First has a blog? If so, have you ever read some of our helpful articles? We publish at least one new blog per month on the topics that matter most to you. Whether we're offering tips about how to save or giving advice to first-time homebuyers, our blog has a little bit of something for everyone. ■

Stay up to date on all of our latest news, events, and other happenings by following us on social media. We post regularly to keep you informed.

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