2022 2nd Quarter Newsletter
In Memoriam: Sharon Miyazawa
On Tuesday, December 7th, 2021, Hickam Federal Credit Union Board of Directors Secretary Sharon Miyazawa passed away at the age of 77. Sharon was a loyal Hickam Federal Credit Union member since 1966. She was elected onto the Supervisory Committee in 1983 and served as the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee from 1989 to 2000. She was elected to the Board of Directors in 2000 and served on numerous committees and as Board Secretary until the time of her passing in 2021.
Sharon served as a civilian contracting officer for the US Government at Hickam Air Force Base for 36 years.
During Sharon's 38 years of serving on the Supervisory Committee and Board of Directors, the Credit Union experienced many achievements and growth. Assets grew from just under $100,000,000 in the 1980s to over $700,000,000 in 2021. Through the years, Hickam Federal Credit Union expanded its membership eligibility island-wide and opened branches in Pearlridge, Mililani, Kapolei, Kahala, Pearl City, and Kaneohe. The Credit Union also made advancements in its collection of products and services and in the Online and Mobile Banking systems during her tenure. Sharon's dedication and commitment to Hickam Federal Credit Union will not be forgotten. She will be truly missed.
Member Appreciation Prize Drawing
Stacey H. poses at our Pearl City Branch with one of the grand prizes from the 85th Member Appreciation Prize Drawing.
To celebrate our loyal members, Hickam Federal Credit Union recently held a Member Appreciation Prize Drawing. Twenty-nine lucky members that entered our drawing were randomly selected to win. Prizes included various cash denominations and two Grand Prizes consisting of a $2,000 Hawaiian Airlines Gift Card with $500 spending cash and another $1,000 Hawaiian Airlines Gift Card. In total, $8,500 worth of prizes were awarded to commemorate Hickam FCU’s 85th Anniversary. Congratulations to all winners of our Member Appreciation Prize Drawing!
Save Small, Dream Big
April is National Credit Union Youth Month and the 2022 theme is “Save Small, Dream Big”. We encourage our younger members to start practicing positive money habits with our Youth Savings Accounts!
Come in and tell us your big dream!
Save Small, Dream Big Drawing - Enter for a chance to win $500!
Youth members (0-17), with the help of a parent/guardian, who make a $10+ deposit into a Youth Savings Account and submit a completed entry form will be entered into our Save Small, Dream Big Drawing.
This is the perfect learning opportunity to teach your children about savings accounts, goal-setting, and budgets long before they enter the "real world". If your child is not a member, call us at 808-423-1391 and schedule an appointment at your nearest branch to open a Youth Savings Account!
2021 Employee of the Year
Left to right: Hickam FCU CFO Abigail Nishida, 2021 Employee of the Year Tracie Yoshioka, and President/CEO Scott Kaulukukui
Hickam FCU would like to congratulate our Employee of the Year, Tracie Yoshioka of our Information Systems department. Tracie is always cheerful, kind, and courteous in her interactions with both co-workers and vendors. With 15 years of service at Hickam Federal Credit Union, she has a wealth of knowledge and can always be counted on to help troubleshoot technical issues or answer questions about our core system. Over the years, Tracie has shown unwavering Caring, Integrity, and Commitment and is known to always bring a smile to whomever she is assisting. Mahalo to Tracie for your dedication and hard work!
Personal Loan Special
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Making the Community Better, Together.
DreamHouse 'Ewa Beach High School and Early College Night
Left: Hickam FCU staff posing behind a table at DreamHouse 'Ewa Beach. Right: Hickam FCU staff talking to DreamHouse families.
Hickam FCU is proud to continue supporting DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach, O’ahu’s newest charter school. DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach will be expanding its student body by opening a temporary high school location at Kapolei Marketplace – just a few doors away from our Kapolei Branch! As a neighbor and community resource, we were happy to share about our Youth Checking and Savings Accounts at their High School and Early College Night on March 11th. Students can become members and begin practicing good financial habits like budgeting and using a debit card. Parents can use Online or Mobile Banking and Card Control to keep track of their children’s spending. We look forward to working together more with the DreamHouse community!
Free Tax Preparation for Those in Need
A VITA volunteer with the tax assistance set-up located at the Pearl City Branch.
Hickam Federal Credit Union is proud to serve, not only our members but those in the community as well. For the past 15 years, Hickam FCU has participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and provided free income tax preparation services to low-income individuals, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly.
From February through April, Hickam FCU staff and volunteers prepared tax returns, at the Pearl City Branch. The VITA tax preparation program aids those who might otherwise not have had access to reliable or affordable tax preparation services or taken advantage of eligible tax credits.
Meet "Papa"!
Hickam FCU President/CEO Scott Kaulukukui (left) poses with Donald "Papa" Yip (right) at the Pearl City Branch.
It's not every day that we get visited by a member on their 100th birthday so we were extremely honored that Donald "Papa" Yip stopped by! Papa celebrated his 100th birthday in March and it happened to line up with our Member Appreciation Celebration week.
During his visit, Papa gifted a beautiful ti-leaf lei to Hickam FCU President/CEO Scott Kaulukukui. The two talked story about the credit union, their families, and Papa's time in the military. Papa served proudly during World War II as a member of the famed 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels" with the 82nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. We are so grateful for his service!
Donald "Papa" Yip was born in Waihee, Maui to Chinese immigrant parents. Papa is the oldest of seven siblings. He's been an avid golfer throughout his life and has a handicap of 7. Recently, he became a member of the Fremont Hotel & Casino's Sharpshooter Club in Las Vegas with 65 rolls. When not dreaming of his safe return to Vegas, Papa enjoys spoiling his three great-granddaughters, watching golf, cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and supporting various UH athletics.
His secret to a long life? "Eat lotta vegetables, exercise, and keep moving, otherwise you had it."
Thank you, Papa, for being a longtime member of Hickam Federal Credit Union!
Scams to Be Aware of During Times of Crisis
During times of crisis like the Ukraine invasion, scammers take advantage of people’s heightened emotions and anxiety. Everyone should be extra cautious when sharing personal information and finances. Here are two methods that criminals use to scam people during times of uncertainty.
- The Grandparent Scam
Scammers may call you pretending to be your child or grandchild. In these phone calls, they will try to sound like someone you know, pretend to be in a dire situation, and beg that you send money immediately. With the Ukraine invasion, many scammers could be posing as people stranded or fleeing and in need of money.
Here are some things you can do to avoid falling for these scams:
- Never share family information publicly
- Do not answer calls from unfamiliar phone numbers
- Find a second, legitimate way to contact the person they claim to be
- Never send cash, checks, or money of any type through unfamiliar means or to an unfamiliar address
- Fake Fundraisers
During times of crisis, it’s natural to feel like you want to help or contribute to those in need. Sadly, scammers often exploit this generosity by creating fake fundraiser pages online. If you wish to donate towards causes online, make sure you are donating on the official page of a legitimate organization. Search “legitimate ways to donate to ______” and only click on trusted sources.
