Monthly Newsletters
Annual Report 2015 (Click for full version)
From the President
As we look forward to celebrating our 80th Anniversary in 2016, we reflect on our legacy and are honored that members have trusted us as financial advocates. Through the “Magic of Membership” thousands of members have benefited from products and services that have helped them afford life’s necessities and plan for their futures.
In recent years, members continue to ask for banking that is simple and clear; a financial advocate when they need one; and help making sound financial decisions in this very complex world. Our collaborative work in 2015 shows that we’ve made tremendous strides in accomplishing these directives.
To stay on target with simplicity, we continued offering our Simple1 Loan. This loan helps members consolidate credit card bills and loans into one low-interest-rate payment. The Simple1 Loan is a competitive alternative to many higher-interest rate cards or loans and offers a streamlined approach to debt consolidation.
We continue to make member’s lives even easier, with our “Power Auto Buying Service.” The Power Auto Buying Service is a time-saving service that finds the car for members. No haggling at the car dealership, no hours of negotiating. Our members called or visited a branch and ordered the car they wanted at a pre-negotiated low price – and over 250 cars were delivered to members through this service in 2015. In addition, our “Going Bananas Auto loan”, offered members competitive pricing with one low rate, for new, previously owned or refinanced vehicles.
On the technology front, we simplified members’ lives with Mobile Deposit. Members simply take a picture of their check with their mobile device, and deposit it in their account. By the close of 2015, over 3,200 deposits were made using Mobile Deposit.
We embellished our Online Banking platform with automated alerts for members to make our members’ accounts safer, and also enhanced our email and text alerts giving members more control on what’s going on with their money. And best of all, these conveniences came at no cost to our members.
In honoring long-time WPCCU members, we introduced bonus dividend rates on Savings and IRA certificates for members with 10 years or longer membership.
To further incentivize members, in October we made cash rewards “Twice as Nice” for the WPCCU Cash Rewards MasterCard. Members now earn 2% cash rewards on all qualifying purchases. And to keep with the simple approach, there are no points to redeem and cash rewards automatically credit to members’ accounts each December.
And, just in time for the holiday season, approximately 2,600 Platinum and Cash Rewards MasterCard members received automatic line increase on their accounts. The increases were based on the member’s good standing with the credit union and their overall credit quality. The increases ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 based on the member’s credit score. This is our third automatic increase in two years and so far it has been a huge success. Members seem to be very happy with the higher spending limits and we are hoping that they will choose our cards first during the busy holiday season.
To make the summertime and winter holidays even brighter, we continued the extremely popular SummerTime and Holiday loans to prequalified members at times when they were most likely to need a little extra cash.
Looking forward, WPCCU is proud to now be a part of the new La Kretz Innovation Campus located in the Arts District area of Downtown Los Angeles. An ATM was installed in November and will be accessible to LADWP employees and customers, the local community, as well as entrepreneurs, inventors and business leaders occupying the new facility. Furthermore, we’re focusing on maintaining our connection with LADWP employees. To this end, we installed a new ATM at the Lincoln Heights DWP Yard. This facility employs approximately 200 LADWP employees.
This year, our branch enhancements included new cash recyclers – automated machines that counts for tellers during deposit and/or withdrawal transactions. The new machines are an efficient way of improving customer service.
An integral part of our culture has been to serve our community and continue supporting membership outreach through charitable organizations. For another year, WPCCU sponsored the DWP Science Fair and also raised over $7,000 for Children’s Hospital of LA and Children’s Miracle Network.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and our staff, we are honored to have had the privilege of serving you, our members, this past year and thank you for your membership. Our 2016 wish for all: health, happiness and a prosperous new year.
Millennial Market Alignment Research and Report
Presented Board of Directors and Executive Management Team – Click here for full report
(Blog Article): Bonding Beyond Music
There are so many miracles wrapped into a pregnancy. From conception to birth, babies and parents experience a range of monumental growths. For moms, the joy of having a little tiny bud evolve into a precious baby over nine months is truly life changing. Dads get to marvel at his partner’s growing belly and feel the bumps and kicks of his baby-to-be. Other family and friends wait anxiously on the prenatal sidelines for their chance to welcome the new arrival into the world.
While our Bellybuds’ team has done extensive research on the effects of music on developing babies in the womb, we’ve also immersed ourselves in studies regarding other sounds and voices to help bond with babies in utero. And with this research, the VoiceShare® recording network was birthed to accompany our Bellybuds | Baby-Bump Sound System. VoiceShare (a premium service included with the Deluxe option) aids in bonding with babies in the womb by allowing family, friends and loved ones near or far to record special, personalized messages for parents to play to the baby via Bellybuds.
The unique aspect of VoiceShare is that it allows loved ones who are unable to be physically close to the expecting mom to share in the experience of her pregnancy and start forming lasting bonds with the baby, all before he/she is born. The recording network has proven especially special for surrogate and military families.
For fathers in the military, serving our country far away from home, just being able to record stories, or sing a lullaby for babies gives an extra feeling of connectedness. As moms repeatedly play these recordings from dad, it introduces and reinforces dad’s voice – which babies can recognize upon birth. In the womb, a fetus’ memory skills begin to develop around 30 weeks. By playing recorded messages through VoiceShare, it can aid in babies remembering dad’s voice. One mom recently shared with us on Amazon.com, “I especially love VoiceShare because my husband is deployed and will not be back until I am 31 weeks pregnant. So I am able to play a message that he records for her, directly to her. Such a blessing!”
For parents utilizing a surrogate, the recording network is a fantastic way to develop a bond with their baby, as well. In some instances, surrogacy arrangements may not allow for constant contact between the surrogate mom and expecting parents. With VoiceShare, surrogate moms can play special messages from the parents daily to their growing bellies. The babies can then become familiar with their parents’ voice – aiding in transitions after birth.
In other instances, it could be a relative, like a grandparent or aunt/uncle, that would like to record messages for the baby to hear in the womb. As one customer stated in a recent review, “With the help of Bellybuds and VoiceShare, my twins just spent the morning listening to their Aunt Tammy sing songs and read them stories. Getting my boys moving is important now because they are so little. Hearing their Auntie’s voice from afar was so amazing and they reacted to her voice right away. I’m so grateful.”
Be it a traditional family lullaby, a story passed down through generations, loved ones don’t have to wait to share these special things for when the baby is born. The learning and sharing can begin in the womb.
Your baby is indeed listening and it’s never too early to start building life-long connections. For more information on VoiceShare, visit: https://bellybuds.voiceshare.net/
(Blog Article): Bellybuds Around The Globe
It’s already mid-year – where did the time go? As we’re heading into the holiday weekend to celebrate America, our Bellybuds team has been busy prepping shipments of products being sent all around the world. From Tuttle, Oklahoma to Malaysia and many places in between, Bellybuds are making their way to parents from all walks of life. One especially happy mom this week is actress/model and former WWE star, Stacy Keibler. Stacy posted the picture below on Instagram, showing off her Bellybuds and letting us know which type of music she’s playing for her growing little one. Read more about Stacy’s post on the blog Bellyitch and hear another mom’s story of how her baby still remembers music from the womb years later.
Another celebrity mom also shared her love for Bellybuds. Alyssa Milano is expecting her second child and has also been playing her baby music through our Baby-Bump Sound System. From our team to you, we wish you and your family a safe and festive 4th of July celebration! Remember to pack your Bellybuds and Mozart for Mother and Child music album for the weekend road-trip!
(Blog Article): Growing and Expanding!
We’re excited to be growing and expanding as we fulfill our goal to enrich the bond between parents and their babies. So what’s new? This month, Bellybuds unveiled a completely redesigned look to our product boxes. A special addition to this new look is the logo for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which solidifies our support to The Mark Taper – Johnny Mercer Artist Program through a charitable partnership. Through December 2014, Bellybuds has committed up to $150,000 to support the music therapy program in CHLA’s Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit.
CHLA’s music therapy program benefits patients of all ages and combines the dynamic energy of local artists and performers with the specialized therapeutic training of registered and certified art and music therapists. The contributions through Bellybuds will assist in increasing the number of music therapists in the NICCU. For each purchase of Bellybuds | Baby-Bump Sound System, Belly Buds LLC will donate 1% to CHLA.
In recent weeks, we also launched a new online store featuring Bellybuds products – including our new music album, Mozart for Mother and Child. The Baby-Bump Sound System, album and replacement adhesives are all available on the new site. A list of retailers and other exciting happenings with Bellybuds is also featured. We’re excited to be growing and expect our expansion to continue. We continue to be grateful for support from customers worldwide and look forward to expanding our products that bond parents and their children through music and sound.
(Press Release): Debbie Allen Dance Academy Prepares to Welcome NASA’s Endeavor Space Shuttle
Los Angeles –The City of Los Angeles is set to welcome Space Shuttle Endeavor to its new home at the California Science Center on Saturday, October 13, 2012. Along with a host of other festivities, the shuttle will be transported through South Los Angeles, where renowned actress and choreographer, Debbie Allen will direct a once-in-a-lifetime celebration in the streets at the intersection of Martin Luther King and Crenshaw Boulevards at 12pm. The celebration will include over 200 artists, featuring the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Los Angeles School of Gymnastics, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, taiko, drummers, aerialists, and more. Endeavour is expected to arrive at the California Science Center in Exposition Park that evening. Endeavour will leave LAX to begin its pre-positioning journey on the morning of October 12. It will be transported with a series of moves and stops that will occur as Endeavour goes under raised transmission lines and across the 405 Freeway to arrive at Inglewood City Hall for an official launch ceremony on the morning of October 13.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Inglewood Mayor James Butts and California Science Center President Jeffrey Rudolph today announced details of Mission 26: The Big Endeavour, Endeavour’s journey from Kennedy Space Center to its new home at the Science Center. The two day journey of the five story tall (58 feet high at the tip of the tail), 78 feet wide, 170,000 pound Endeavour is expected to draw viewers from across Southern California. The route can be accessed on the California Science Center’s website at www.californiasciencecenter.org. “This is a very big deal for our city and community,” said Allen. “Celebrating such rich American history is an honor and we are planning a extraordinary show.”
“This will mark the first, last and only time a space shuttle will travel through 12 miles of urban, public streets,” said Rubin. “It’s not only one of the biggest objects ever transported down city streets; it’s an irreplaceable national treasure. Most importantly, this marks the beginning of Endeavour’s ultimate mission of inspiring current and innovators and explorers at the California Science Center.”
About the Debbie Allen Dance Academy:
The Debbie Allen Dance Academy is a cultural center committed to making dance a meaningful experience for all individuals. The Academy provides professional and rigorous training for young dancers in over twelve dance forms, artistic development for professional dancers, and youth-focused outreach and education initiatives. The Academy prepares young dancers for a serious career in dance, musical theatre, film, and television, all the while developing the discipline, self-confidence, and creativity that every individual needs to succeed in life.
(Press Release): Hollywood Chief Puts The Industry on Hold and Heads Back to School
Los Angeles – On any given Friday, you might imagine the head executive of a Hollywood movie studio jetting from a movie set to meetings with directors and actors and making multi-million dollar deals. However, if you had visited West Adams Prep teacher Mario Galindo’s English class on a Friday during the first quarter of 2008, that’s where you would have found co-chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment Tom Rothman.
Rothman led an English class in the Media, Film and Arts small school for five weeks, teaching students about the process of how novels are transformed into scripts, and then into movies. Rothman has been an influential figure in the film industry for years, and has been involved in some of the most memorable Hollywood hits, from Romeo & Juliet to X-Men. In 2002, Rothman worked with Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise to produce Minority Report, adapted from Philip K. Dick’s short story “The Minority Report” and one of the films Rothman chose to focus on in his class for West Adams students. Rothman worked directly with West Adams English teacher Mario Galindo to outline for studentsthe process of taking a book to the big screen. Students learned to identify the differences
(Press Release) : Amgen Foundation Launches Hallmark Biotechnology Program with MLA Partner Schools
Los Angeles – Beginning in February 2009, students at West Adams Prep and Manual Arts High Schools will explore advanced courses in biology, chemistry, physics, investigation and experimentation as a part of the Amgen Bruce Wallace Biotechnology Lab Program. The program features a hands-on, inquiry-based science program where students take on the role of scientist to complete lessons in topics such as DNA recombinant and gene cloning. As part of an ongoing commitment to the three-year partnership launched in September 2007 between Amgen and MLA to improve education in South Los Angeles (which included a $4 million grant), the launch of the biotechnology program will be a pivotal step in bringing advanced science to students at these partner schools. Each school will pilot the program in a unique fashion, laying the foundation for a launch of a larger scale program at both schools. At West Adams Prep, students will have an interdisciplinary opportunity between science and English courses. As students complete their laboratory modules, they will chart their experiences in their English classes on personal online blogs, which will be featured on the school’s website and shared with the greater community. At Manual Arts, the program will be rigorously piloted with multiple teachers in the Science Department.
The program provides a full suite of transportable, research-grade equipment and supplies to complete lesson laboratories. The curriculum materials included in the kits feature the same equipment used by the biotechnology industry, including electrophoresis equipment for DNA separation, centrifuges, micropipettes, consumables for growing bacteria, and an incubator. Marty Ikkanda, director of the Amgen Bruce Wallace Biotechnology Lab Program, explains: “With cutbacks in funding to education and classroom strategies focusing on ‘teaching to the test,’ less time and resources are devoted to scientific laboratory experiences in the classroom.” The Amgen program engages students in learning molecular biology using relevant curriculum, tools and techniques. Additionally, it exposes students to the excitement of scientific discovery and possibilities for careers in science. Eric Wheeler, veteran science teacher at Manual Arts agrees. “I’ve been waiting years for an opportunity to expose my students to this level of education and equipment.” John Lynch, Associate Director at West Adams Prep, expressed: “Taking part in this kind of program allows educators of these two schools to teach science in a way that is both engaging and rigorous for our students, which in turn pushes the professional development of our teachers as well.”
(Press Release): The Legendary History of Jesus in Egypt Now Available on DVD
Adapted from the international best-selling author Paul Perry’s book Jesus in Egypt, Bent Pyramid Productions introduces a preeminent documentary film about the childhood of Jesus and the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt.
Los Angeles – Jesus in Egypt, a dynamic documentary film adapted from international best-selling author Paul Perry’s book JESUS IN EGYPT: Discovering the Secrets of Christ’s Childhood Years debuts in the United States and is now available on DVD. The film gives viewers a birds-eye view of one of the holiest historical sites in the world, Egypt. Likewise, the film explores and expounds on the renowned sites where Jesus is said to have performed miracles. Aside from just a few sentences surrounding his birth, only three years of Jesus’ life are highlighted in the Bible. Through the eyes of Executive Producer Norman A. Miles, this documentary sheds light on a spiritual journey, and travel adventure with a detective finding mission. Stunning film footage throughout the documentary walks viewers along the exact trails taken by the Holy Family, when they were said to have fled from King Herod.
Just weeks after the events of September 11th, international best-selling author Paul Perry set out for a journey to Egypt. By pouring over narratives of little known ancient writings, Perry was able to follow the Holy Family’s route through Egypt –from their entrance across the burning sands of the Sinai Desert to their zigzagging path down the Nile. The film, which is available on DVD can be purchased directly from the website http://www.JesusinEgypt.com. The website also includes a Paul Perry book club and other original icons of the Holy Family’s voyage. Egypt as a country has tremendous amounts of information which support the biblical information about where the Holy Family traveled and landmarks that were touched and passed along the way. There have only been two times that a Westerner has completed the entire trail – both of which involved Perry. For his journey, Perry interviewed a number of prominent leaders including archaeologists, document specialists, Priests, Bishops and the Coptic Pope. Perry states, “There are no stories in the Bible about what Jesus did in Egypt, but I knew such stories existed in the form of oral tradition and stories that were written down outside of the Bible.”
About Bent Pyramid Productions, LLC: Produced through Bent Pyramid Productions, LLC. located in Syracuse New York, Jesus in Egypt was directed and filmed in high definition by Marlin Darrah. Executive Producer, Norman A. Miles a native of Syracuse, NY exclusively formed Bent Productions to provide a dynamic visual image to Perry’s book, journey and vision. Norman A. Miles, Paul Perry and Archeologist Dr. John de Bry Ph. D. are all available for interviews regarding this documentary film.
Sharply Polished 