Today: Thursday, Sep 02, 2010
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The Credit Union will be closed on:
September 4-6 - Labor Day Weekend
2010 Calendar
Events and Holiday Closings
- *Important UFCU VISA debit card information
- Income Tax Incentives in 2009
- Medicaid Alert
- Power of Attorney
- Third Party checks
- Real estate
- Official Checks. What are they?
- UFCU Remains Financially Sound
- How Your Accounts Are Federally Insured.
- NCUA Share Insurance
- Commercial Loan Application Process
- How to Avoid Home Foreclosure
- How to Improve Your FICO Score
- Start IRA Savings Account
- What is Check 21?
- Beware of Phishing Scams
- Beware of Financial Exploitation
- Facts About Credit Unions
NOTICE OF MEETING Maria Zobniw (left on the picture) was the heart and soul of her family, and a bedrock in the local Ukrainian community, friends and family said. The 60-year-old woman, who was killed Friday in the massacre at the American Civic Association, cared deeply about her heritage and wanted to share it, her daughter Zoriana Zobniw Nehrebeckyj said. For four decades, she was president of the Binghamton Chapter of Ukrainian Women's League and secretary of the local branch of Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. In that capacity, she organized education booths for the Ethnic Festival, helped raise the flag on Ukrainian Independence Days and gave presentations at area schools about Ukrainian Easter eggs, embroidery and arts. "She was always willing to help and never asked for anything in return," said Iryna Tkhoryk, who came to the United States a decade ago and was one of the many Ukrainian immigrants helped by Zobniw over the years. "She was a big sister for me and a mother for my daughter," Tkhoryk said. Her desire to help other immigrants led Zobniw to become a part-time caseworker at the American Civic Association about four years ago. "She's Ukrainian, and she knew how difficult it is for people to get adjusted and she knew several languages," her husband of 37 years, Lubomyr Zobniw, said. "She saw it as her mission to help." Maria wasn't supposed to be working Friday, her husband said. She usually had Fridays off. But she was asked to come to work, and she agreed even though she and her husband were due to leave Saturday to visit a daughter in Silver Spring, Md., and to see the cherry blossoms in bloom in Washington, D.C. "Right now at this time we were supposed to be walking around the cherry blossoms, not planning her funeral," Nehrebeckyj said. Zobniw was born in a displaced person's camp after World War II. Her family came to Binghamton when she was 4 years old, and she grew up in a Ukrainian section of Binghamton's First Ward. She was a lifelong member of the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church and a member of the first graduating class at Seton Catholic Central High School in Binghamton. She also graduated from Harpur College (now Binghamton University). "We were raised in a traditional Ukrainian Catholic home where God, Ukraine and the importance of education were the things that were stressed," Nehrebeckyj said. Zobniw's four grown children -- ages 36, 32, 28 and 21 -- live out of the area. They rushed to Binghamton to be with their father and kept hoping for a miracle until they received the official news at 4 p.m. Saturday that their mother was dead. "Within the family, she was able to hold the nucleus of the family together," her husband said. Mayors of Binghamton came and went, but her mother was there every year helping to raise Ukraine's flag, daughter Oresta Zobniw Lisowsky said. "If there was a festival, we were there," she added with a laugh. The family, some 20 strong, still gathers every year on Christmas and Easter at the Dickinson home. They were planning another Easter celebration this year. "My mother had a wonderful way of communicating with people even if there was a language barrier," Nehrebeckyj said. "She made other people feel better about themselves." A Mass of Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Laskowski Funeral Home, 367 Prospect St., Binghamton. Donations in Zobniw's memory can be made to Ukrainian Women's League or Ukrainian Congress of America, Ukrainian School Curriculum Fund. Recently, we all have learned about a new highly dangerous virus called Conficker Worm. We would like to assure you that our UFCU Web site and On-line Banking sites are well protected and are safe to visit. Our members are our priority and we do everything to make our Credit Union Services safe and secure to use. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at (877) 968-7828 or send an e-mail to info@rufcu.org. Sincerely, UKRAINIAN Federal Credit Union Ukrainian FCU is pleased to introduce a new way for you to check the status of your UFCU VISA GOLD credit card accounts Now you can go to the Ukrainian FCU’s web site at www.rufcu.org and click the “Visa Gold Online” link to register your UFCU credit card accounts. Once you register an account, you can immediately begin to view vital information about your account any time of day from the convenience and security of your own computer. All you need is a connection to the Internet. Of course, you can also get information and service on your accounts by calling the toll-free telephone number noted on the back of your credit card.
MINUTES OF UFCU ANNUAL MEETING ‘09
Stephen Wowelko, Secretary ‘09 -
Richard Harris, Secretary
After his welcome, Mr. Kornylo requested a moment of silence for the deceased UFCU members from the previous year and for those who perished in the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion in Ukraine.
There was a motion and a second to approve the agenda as presented by Mr. Kornylo.
Board Secretary, Stephen Wowelko read the minutes from the previous Annual Meeting (held April 06, 2008, at the Slavic Pentecostal Church in Spencerport, New York,) in English and Yaroslav Fatyak read the minutes in Ukrainian. The members voted to approve the minutes as read earlier by the secretary Stephen Wowelko.
Wasyl Kornylo noted that the President’s Report was printed in the Opinion Magazine. In his report, Kornylo focused on the credit union’s financial status, its future demographic growth and market potential. He emphasized the importance of keeping a united and positive vision, especially during these difficult economic times. Kornylo thanked the Board of Directors, CEO, General Manager and staff for their hard work in the previous year. Kornylo presented a certificate of appreciation to Wolodymyr Pylyshenko for his many years of service to the Credit Union and announced that the Board of Directors granted Mr. Pylyshenko, Honorary Board Member status.
Christina Oleksyn, as Treasurer presented the financial report. Our Credit Union assets grew to $135.7 million, increasing approximately 3.3% (or 4.3 million) from the previous year. Oleksyn reported that our statement of operations showed a loss of $2.6 million in 2008. Christina Oleksyn indicated that, in spite of an economic crisis, and a substantial loss in net income, the UFCU was a safe financial institution that serves its members from coast to coast.
Tamara Denysenko, Chief Executive Officer accentuated that 2008 was a challenging year not only for UFCU but also for the United States and many countries around the world. She highlighted the credit union’s transformation from a one branch $62 million credit union into a six branch, $135.7 million financial network in four states serving over 16,500 members with strong reserves well over the required 7%.
Oleg Lebedko, General Manager presented a comparative financial analysis, mentioned that several new technologies were implemented in 2008 with more to come in the future. He thanked UFCU employees for their dedicated hard work. Mr. Lebedko also reported that at the end of 2008, our membership dropped to 16,615 members.
The Educational/Cultural (Ed/Com) Committee report was given by committee co-chair Stephen Wowelko. Wowelko reported on the work of the scholarship committee and noted that since last year UFCU started awarding special scholarships in memoriam of UFCU past leaders – Walter Hawrylak, William Andrushin and Bohdan Wenglowskyj. In 2008 there were 24 complete applications submitted for review. The Scholarship Committee recommended that the board distribute $24,300 in scholarships. Wowelko thanked the members of the branch advisory committees and the scholarship committees for their hard work in assisting the Ed/Com Committee.
Evhen Lylak reported for the Supervisory Committee. He assured members that management maintains the credit union financially strong and that the UFCU continues to be a safe financial institution for our members. Mr. Lylak thanked the members of the Supervisory Committee.
A question and answer period followed the reports presented during which members were able to question the board and management. Questions included inquiries as to the type and quality of member services to be offered in the future.
Evhen Lylak as chairman of the Nominating Committee introduced the auditing firm of Bonadio & Co. LLP, which presented the results of the election conducted to fill the 5 vacant seats on the Board of Directors. The following five qualified member candidates received the most votes and where elected to serve on the Board of Directors: Yaroslav Fatyak, Bohdan Zakharchishin, Yaroslav Kirik, Richard Harris and Barbara Gutierrez.
During the meeting, UFCU members had the opportunity to welcome a delegation of Ukrainian librarians through the sponsorship of Library of Congress, Open World Program and the Irondequoit Sister Cities committee from – Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, and Luhansk, who were visiting Rochester.
There was a motion and a second to close the annual meeting. The membership voted to in favor of closing the meeting at 3:55pm. After the close of the meeting, members and guests enjoyed a dinner prepared by volunteers from St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Respectfully submitted,
Stephen Wowelko,
UFCU Secretary of the Board ‘09
The Nominating Committee of Ukrainian Federal Credit Union has selected nominees for vacancies on the Board of Directors. The nominees for the positions together with their qualifications and biographical data are:
Barbara (Tymoc) Gutierrez – Current Board Treasurer, and ALCO Committee member. Serves on the Board of Ukrainian Members Services LLC, a UFCU Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO). Also, serves as a Board Treasurer for Pathway Houses of Rochester (2006-present). A certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and finance project management professional, Barbara is currently employed at Xerox Corporation as a Financial Business Optimization Manager for the North America Finance Group. Holds a BS / MBA degree in Finance from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Wasyl (Bill) Kornylo – Current Board Chairman, Succession Planning Committee chair. Serves as chair of Ukrainian Members Services LLC, a UFCU Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO). Principal of EZ Income Tax Financial Service LLC. Bill recently retired from Xerox Corporation where he managed Professional Development, Learning and Certification in Global Purchasing, Strategic Services Group. His voluntary community involvement includes the following organizations: Ukrainian American Sports Club Inc; Knights of Columbus; Kobzari Musical Folk Ensemble; NY Upstate Minority Council and the Irondequoit Poltava Ukraine Sister Cities Program. Holds a BA / BS degree in Economics and Music.
Nomination for the vacancies may also be made by petition signed by 160 members. Each nominee by petition shall submit with the petition a statement of qualifications and biographical data, photograph and a signed certificate stating that he or she is agreeable to the nomination and will serve if elected to office.
Completed petition forms must be returned to the Board Secretary no later than 4 pm, Tuesday, March 16, 2010.
In the event there is only one nominee for each position to be filled, then the election will not be conducted by ballot and there will be no nominations from the floor. Further in the event there is more than one nominee for any position to be filled, voting instructions will be provided to all members eligible to vote, ages 18 and older, no later than March 22, 2010.
Member who join the Credit Union or become age 18 after January 24, 2010 are not eligible to vote until the next annual election.
Tamara Denysenko Joins the Women President’s Organization
More than 1,300 accomplished women entrepreneurs and professionals in 82 chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Peru are current members. They lead companies with a minimum of $1-$2 million in gross annual sales or revenues either with company ownership or senior management responsibilities.
The WPO functions to improve business conditions for women entrepreneurs and professionals and to promote their acceptance and advancement in all industries. The organization addresses business and financial concerns, organizational development, human resources. WPO members collectively generate $14.8 billion in annual revenue and represent about 21,000 years of collective business experience.
The Women President’s Organization was founded in 1997 by Dr. Marsha Firestone, former Vice President of Women Inc., Vice President of Training and Counseling at the American Woman’s- Economic Development Corporation. She is the author of the “Busy Woman’s Guide to Successful Self-Employment” and has published research in business and education journals.
Oleg Lebedko Completes the NAFCU Management Development Institute (MDI) Program
MDI consists of an intensive executive education curriculum that addresses Credit Unions` need for staff, who can thrive in today’s complex financial services environment. MDI is run by the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU). MDI was established in 1991 and boasts over 850 graduates of the program.
MDI participants are taught by industry experts who cover a variety of critical topics including administration and human resources management; operations/technology management; regulatory compliance / accounting; finance and marketing.
Oleg Lebedko joined Ukrainian Federal Credit Union as assistant manager in 1995. He was born in Ukraine, graduated from Kyiv State University in 1992 and obtained his MBA at University of Dallas in 1994.
The National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU) is a respected and influential trade association that exclusively represents the interests of federal credit unions before the federal government and the public.
Maria Zobniw was heart and soul of her family
A NEW VIRUS - THE CONFICKER WORM
To make sure your personal computers are protected as well, we strongly recommend that you take the following steps:
Information Technology Department
Ukrainian Federal Credit Union Remains Financially Sound, Stable and Strong
oriented financial cooperative". Our strong reserves continue to protect us as we continue to face regional housing, financial and economic difficulties. We are federally regulated by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Most recently we completed a successful annual CPA audits and conduct regular internal audits to review our financial statements, operational procedures and lending policies to make sure that all our branches and departments operate within appropriate laws, rules and regulations.
Ukrainian Federal Credit Union was founded in 1953 in Rochester, NY as a cooperative financial institution on the principal of “people helping people”. Since that time UFCU has grown from nine to over 16,000 members, from one branch to six branches coast to coast, from $25 to over $136 million in assets with strong and solid reserves, currently at over 11%. We have implemented innovative ideas, state-of-the-art technology to sustain our long-term staying power. And for over 55 years, our vision and mission have been steadfast – to provide prosperity for all generations of our credit union members in the communities we serve. Our goal was, is and will be to provide excellent service to members who choose Ukrainian Federal Credit Union as their preferred and trusted financial partner. As a not-for-profit financial institution owned by members, UFCU is focused on doing what’s best for the membership.
As a federal credit union, all UFCU share savings are fully insured and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government through the NCUSIF, a government agency that insures credit union member deposits. Since October 2008 all regular and IRA member shares are insured to at least $250,000. Members can get over $1 million in deposit insurance coverage depending on the ownership of their accounts. For most current information on all types of NCUSIF share savings insurance, you can visit www.ncua.gov .
In these times of economic uncertainty, please know that Ukrainian FCU is here for you -- our member. Please stop by or call your nearest UFCU branch at 1-877-YOUR UCU (968-7828) with any questions or concerns you may have.
Ukrainian FCU Members Benefit from New Internet Service
This new web-based credit card information service lets you view transactions from your last three statements, check your account balance, available credit, next payment date, amount due and pay your credit card bill online. With these additional features you can activate your card, order a replacement card, maintain account information and request a PIN.
We’re using the Internet now as another way for our members to access their credit card account data. The Internet just happens to be a delivery channel that’s in very high demand now because of its convenience.
Web access to credit card data is fast - pages appear in seconds. Most importantly, this new way to examine account data is secure - all exchanges between your web browser and the credit card pages are protected by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 128-bit encryption. Best of all, there’s no charge to you, the member, for getting your account data over the Internet.
October 25, 2008 55th UFCU Anniversary Banquet Program:
Recognition Awards-
over 35 years: Wolodymyr Pylyshenko - over 25 years: Wasyl Kornylo
Professional Achievement Awards-
30 years: Nadia Hayduke
20 years: Lesia Chwesik, Lesia Kysil, Lydia Stevens, Lesia Paraszczak
Anniversary Program: Oleg Lebedko, Tanya Dashkevich - Master of Ceremonies
Greetings - Irondequoit Supervisor Mary Ellen Heyman, Senator James Alesi
Quartet Ukrainian Ensemble - Syracuse, NY
Performers - Mykhaylo Artymovych, Vasyl Troyanovych, Orest Hrycyk,
Vasyl Hrabovyy. Accompanied by Aleksandr Dashkevich
Yaseny (Ash-Trees) - Words and melody by M. Kryvenkyy
Oj, Hylya, Hylya - Ukrainian Folk Song - Arranged by Hryhoriy Kytastyy
Nich Yaka, Hospody (Oh, Lord, What`s the Night) - Ukrainian Folk Song -
Arranged by Ivan Kytastyy
Our Father - Prayer
Performing Arts: Dance ensemble “Svitanok”, Dance instructor, Olena Chwesik; Director of Dance Oksana Kraus; Myron Kowal, president and founder Ukrainian Arts
Foundation of Rochester, performers: Shannon Adamczuk, Mia Daniels,
Nina Daniels, Krystyna Dilai, Kelly Kowal, Olenka Masny, Olga Savka,
Christina Vysochan, Nadia Wallace, Adrian Burke, Paulie Klisz, Max Kowal,
Dmitry Shcherbenko, Igor Zubrzycki, Vasile Buniak
Special Prizes & Gifts provided by: Irene Grassmann, Daria Hanushevsky,
Olena Lylak, Eugene Hryhorenko, Olga Dereshchuk
OUR NEW UFCU WEB SITE
Most web pages have a common structure. There are three or four columns -- the main text is in the middle column, navigation information in the left column and additional reading is connected to the main text in the right column. In our upgrade, we applied the same principals. Our goal was to keep the navigation section as convenient as possible and added only one submenu layer.
Now UFCU members can easily find out about our promotions, current news and branch community events by just opening the main page. A flash driven banner reflects CU promotions and events in an eye catching way. We invite you to visit our new UFCU website and take a moment to navigate through the pages. We welcome your feedback by taking a brief survey so that we can improve not only the usability and friendliness of the site but also all the varied, beneficial services of our Ukrainian FCU.
NEW UKRAINIAN AUDIO RESPONSE!
We encourage all our members to take advantage of this new, even more convenient financial service! Now your accounts are as close as your phone line just by calling our toll-free UFCU number at 1-877-968-7828, option 8. You can sign up on-line or – just call us.
We also offer our free On-Line Banking. The on-line sign up process is very easy – log on to www.rufcu.org, click on “On-Line Banking” link on the left, then click on “Sign Up Now” and follow the instructions. Once we receive and approve your signed application, you’ll receive a confirmation by e-mail. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to have more information about our convenient services, please contact us at (877) 968-7828 or send us an e-mail to info@rufcu.org.Lviv-Portland Sister-Cities
General of Ukraine in San Francisco also joined the delegation in their meetings with Portland Mayor Tom Potter and other city officials. All had an opportunity to discuss and learn about Portland’s infrastructure, community and municipal services, various “green” environmental friendly construction and housing development projects. Visits and tours were organized to cable, communication, agricultural, dairy, transportation, trucking and high technology companies. The delegates from Ukraine also visited various places of interest from the city of Tillamook to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Official discussions about establishing a Lviv-Portland Sister-Cities relationship were also held.
