Vets Baskets for Veterans

Hello Veterans Baskets Supporters, Donors and Volunteers! We will be delivering our Veterans Day Baskets for Vets next week. The schedule is below. Also, we will be putting the goodie bags together beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, here at Omaha Federal Credit Union’s Main Branch: 3001 S. 82nd Ave, Omaha, NE 68135. We will be working to put the bags together all day, so if you can come even for a short while, it would be very much appreciated! We have 203 bags to fill! Meet us in the basement’s Board Room at our Main Branch in Omaha. Take the hall elevator down to the LL basement, then ring the door bell and someone will come answer the door. PLEASE JOIN US! Below is the delivery schedule for next Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023 and Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. We would gladly accept the Press’s involvement by taking delivery photos and conducting onsite interviews at each stop. Background info is provided at the bottom of the email, as well as 2 PDF flyers attached. For more info, please contact me: Julie Gasper, at 531-225-2781 (cell) or via email: juliegasper@omahafcu.org Veteran’s Day Baskets for Vets Delivery Schedule Note: we will do our very best to stick to the following time schedule, but there may be cases where we are a little bit early or a little bit late. Thank you for your patience and understanding. PLEASE NOTE: Due to possible Covid restrictions on the date of delivery, please be sure to bring a mask and also proof of your flu shot vaccination, otherwise the ENVH may not let you come inside the facility. Tuesday, Nov. 7 • 1:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.– Crown Pointe (Omaha) o Time at Crown Pointe: 0.5 hours o 2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. (drive +/- 0.5 hours) • 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Eastern NE Vets Home (Bellevue) o Time at Eastern NE Vets Home (0.5 hours) Thursday, Nov. 9 • 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. – Autumn Pointe (Fort Calhoun, NE) o Time at Autumn Pointe (0.5 hours) o 9:30 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. -- (20 min. drive to Blair, NE) • 9:50 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. – Carter House (Blair, NE) o Time at Carter House (25 min.) o 10:15 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. (10 min. drive) • 10:25 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. – Crowell Memorial Home (Blair, NE) o Time at Crowell Home (20 min.) o 10:45 a.m. to 10:55 p.m. (10 min drive) • 10:55 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. – Good Shepherd (Blair, NE) o Time at Good Shepherd (20 min.) o 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (lunch) o 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. (drive to Missouri Valley, IA) (30 min.) • 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. – Azria Health Longview (Missouri Valley, IA) o Time at Azria Health Longview (0.5 hours) o 1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. (drive to Woodbine, IA) (30 min.) • 1:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. – Azria Health Rose Vista (Woodbine, IA) o Time at Azria Health Rose Vista (0.5 hours) o Drive from Woodbine, IA to Blair, NE (50 min.) o Drive from Blair, NE to Omaha, NE (30 min.) Julie Gasper Vice President of Marketing 3001 S. 82nd Ave. Omaha, NE 68124 Main: 402.399.9001 Toll Free: 800.660.7350 Direct: 402.951.8728 Email: juliegasper@omahafcu.org Website: www.omahafcu.org Operation Green Light Also, please support Operation Green Light (flyer attached): This coming Veterans Day, the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers (NACVSO) invite the nation’s 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs to join Operation Green Light and show support for veterans by lighting our buildings green from November 6 to November 12. By shining a green light, county governments and our residents will let veterans know that they are seen, appreciated and supported. https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans Background info re: Veterans Day Baskets for Vets (also see attached PDFs) It’s coming fast and furious! Veterans Day, that is! And it’s time to kick-off our 3rd annual Veterans Day Baskets for Vets community service campaign! Last year’s event (which was held prior to Memorial Day) was such a resounding success, that we are hopeful this year’s will be as good or better! But we need YOUR help to do so! Would you be willing to donate to our Veterans Day Baskets for Vets campaign this year? We are creating fun goodie bags with some inexpensive items to brighten our Vets’ day and tell them we THANK THEM for their service to America! Last year, we sponsored 170 Vets in 5 retirement communities in Washington County, one retirement community in Douglas County and the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home in Sarpy County. The Fort Calhoun Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts wrote personal “thank you for your service” notes to each Vet for their bag. The Blair VFW posts donated their time and talents, as well as the Veterans Service Office of Washington County, the Veterans Service Office of Douglas County and the Veterans Service Office of Sarpy County. During last year’s community service campaign, we made so many Vets smile! This year we’d like to see if we can expand our reach into Harrison and/or Pottawattamie counties as well. Our goal is to hand out a total of 200 goodie bags to recognize Vets for their service. Our monetary donations last year covered the full purchase of the bags and many of the patriotic contents therein. Our monetary goal this year is $2,500! Will you help us get there? We will be delivering the goodie bags to the Vets prior to Veterans Day, so we would like all donations no later than Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 or sooner (so we have plenty of time to buy items and put all the gift bags together). You would be donating to a great cause and giving back to VETS who’ve given so much to our country and sacrificed so much so that we can enjoy the freedoms and liberty we have today! Any monetary amount or in-kind donation from you would greatly help! Checks can be made out to Omaha Federal Credit Union and routed to Julie Gasper, Vice President of Marketing, here at our Main Branch. Or you can drop items or checks off at any of our 3 branches. OR, if you prefer to buy items for inclusion in the gift bags, the following is a list of suggested items needed. Please bring your donated items to any of our 3 branches no later than Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 or sooner. Please DO NOT put the items in a basket – we will be dividing all the items up fairly to insert them in branded tote bags that we (OFCU) have already purchased. ITEMS NEEDED Playing Cards Snacks 2024 wall calendars Toothbrush Toothpaste Mints Combs Brushes Crossword puzzles Word Searches Patriotic socks or plain socks Anything patriotic Candy Mints Gum Small Journals Tablets Puzzles and games Hand Sanitizer Word Search puzzle books Stamps Books Magazines Gift cards Hygiene items Monetary donations Anything that you think a Vet (man or woman) in a retirement/nursing home would enjoy to pass the time It has been a pure JOY to serve all of these Vets, and I hope they enjoy their gifts and know how special they are to our communities and our country! Again, thanks SO MUCH in advance for your support and generosity, as well as your dedication to serving your community! Here is a quote from a proud and appreciative Vet: “I received the generous bag of goodies today and was very pleased!! I thank all who donated items, lots of snacks, pens and other things that will come in handy. The people were very generous and I appreciate it.” — Pat Hunsche, former U.S. Navy WAVE Also, 12-year Veteran Garry Kraft from Carter Place in Blair, NE, smiles with his Vets goodie bag during our 2021 Vets Baskets Community Service Campaign! VETS BASKETS TALKING POINTS 1. Talking Points a. This is a grassroots community service campaign that was created in 2021 by Julie Gasper, OFCU, and Ed Lautrup, Veterans Service Officer of WA County b. This is our 3rd year!! – it has grown year over year!! i. Started during the time of COVID, when nursing home residents were on lockdown and had zero to little access to visitors and family members ii. May 2021 - Started with 5 Blair (WA County) area nursing homes and 1 in Fort Calhoun = 100 bags delivered iii. May 2022 – We added to 2021 a Douglas County nursing home and the entire Eastern NE Vets Home in Sarpy County = 170 bags iv. Nov 2023 – We have added two new nursing homes in Harrison County IA = 203 bags 1. Also new this year: We will be delivering to a nursing home in Tekamah, NE c. We couldn’t do this without the ongoing support of the community, CU members, Vets clubs, Veteran Service Officers, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Douglas County and WA County Service Offices, Vendors, WA County Chamber, Greater Omaha Chamber, Bellevue chamber, American Legion Posts, AM Vets, & DAV! In addition, we have OFCU member support, OFCU employee support and many anonymous donors! Plus great management and time spent fundraising and marketing by Julie Gasper, OFCU, and Ed Lautrup, WA County Veteran Services Officer d. This is a not-for-profit campaign. All monetary and in-kind donations go directly to the Vets. e. We do this to honor our nation’s Veterans and to thank them for their selfless sacrifice – yesterday, today and tomorrow. Without them, we wouldn’t have the freedom and liberties that we enjoy today! 2. Marketing materials for event (flyer, posters, pamphlets) and/or website for event, organization. a. 2023 Flyers attached – 2 PDFs b. 2023: also on our website: i. https://www.omahafcu.org/2nd-annual-may-memorial-day-baskets-for-vets-kicks-off/ 3. Who, what, when, where, why & how: a. Bios: i. Julie Gasper, Vice President of Marketing, Omaha Federal Credit Union 1. Nearly 30 years in Marketing and Business Development in Omaha and surrounding areas; 3 years at OFCU 2. We have 3 branches – 2 in Omaha and 1 in Blair 3. My Dad is a Vet – served at the DMZ line in Korea 4. My Dad’s 2 brothers and his best friend served, some in Vietnam 5. My cousin served in Turkey 6. I am VERY patriotic and think that all Vets, no matter the age, should be honored throughout their lifetime. Without them and their past service, our freedom and our nation would not be secure. ii. Ed Lautrup, Veteran Services Officer, Washington County, NE 1. Served 21 years in the military, his wife also served 10 years 2. Ed has deployed on MANY military tours including in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Kuwait, etc. 3. Ed and his wife have twin senior high school boys who have helped in the past with their Boy Scouts clubs and signed letters and helped us deliver the bags b. Brief overview of Omaha Federal Credit Union, background, mission, who we help and what we do. i. Omaha Federal Credit Union 1. Chartered in 1935 2. Will celebrate 90 years in 2025 3. Branches in Omaha, Blair and Downtown 4. Services the following counties: Douglas, Sarpy, Washington (all NE) and Harrison and Pottawattamie in IA. Harrison County is a NEW service area for OFCU! 5. We offer all of the same services and products that banks do, PLUS we are not-for-profit, so our members own the CU a. Better rates and higher returns on CDs, savings, etc. b. Lower rates on Loans i. Affordable loan access c. Added Personalized services d. Fewer or zero fees e. Focused on financial wellness f. Community service focused / Veterans focused ii. WA County Veterans Service Office 1. Ed Lautrup -- 402-426-6838 c. Summary of the event, fundraiser or cause they would like to discuss. i. See attached flyers d. Info on where the event is taking place/website with info i. Monetary and in kind donations due by Nov. 3 ii. Checks can be made out to Omaha Federal Credit Union iii. Drop off donations – monetary and items for the bags – to any of our 3 branches iv. https://www.omahafcu.org/2nd-annual-may-memorial-day-baskets-for-vets-kicks-off/ e. Info on when the event is taking place i. OFCU gathers all donations, buys many items with the donations to put in the bags, orders the OFCU branded bags, and members and donors and others help us fill the bags and personalize them to each nursing home with personalized nametags ii. Baskets will be delivered by OFCU and our partners to 200 Vets Nov, 7th and Nov. 9th, 2023, just in time for Veterans Day f. Info on why the event is taking place i. It’s always a good time to honor Vets. They have sacrificed so much so that we may live free and be safe. g. Info on how the community can participate, donate, etc. i. Monetary and in kind donations are due by Nov. 3 ii. Monetary and check donations can be made out to Omaha Federal Credit Union iii. Drop off donations – monetary and items for the bags – to any of our 3 OFCU branches a. List of items needed can be found on our website b. Call Julie Gasper at 402-399-9001 for more details c. Call Ed Lautrup at 402-426-6838 for more details iv. https://www.omahafcu.org/2nd-annual-may-memorial-day-baskets-for-vets-kicks-off/ v. Also, NEW this year: we are partnering with the Douglas County Veterans Service Office to share the word about Operation Green Light for Veterans a. Light up the front of your home or business in green from Nov 6-12, 2023, in support of all Veterans b. https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans All My Best, Julie Gasper Vice President of Marketing 3001 S. 82nd Ave. Omaha, NE 68124 Main: 402.399.9001 Toll Free: 800.660.7350 Direct: 402.951.8728 Email: juliegasper@omahafcu.org Website: www.omahafcu.org Confidentiality Note: This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and may be protected by legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, please be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of this e-mail or any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us immediately by returning it to the sender and then delete this copy from your system. Thank you for your cooperation.