EPEFCU

Experience the Art of the Mission Valley

Step into the El Paso Employees Mission Valley Branch and you’ll be greeted by the profoundly tender brown eyes that transpire from the painting titled “Out of the Mist,” created by local artist, Al Borrego. 

For years, EPEFCU has dreamt about coming together with the emerging art community to showcase the extraordinary talent of local artists. With the help of Borrego, President of the El Paso Art Association, that dream was finally realized. On December 16^th, 2010, EPEFCU held its very first art exhibit at the Mission Valley Branch, located in the Lower Valley.  

The exhibit, named, ‘Envision the Mission Valley,’ was meant to bring together EPEFCU’s newest branch location with the historical Mission Valley community, considered the oldest area in El Paso. From the historic missions to the Mission Trail Art Market and Main Street Mercantile Galleries, whose mission is to promote, nurture, and cultivate the vision and talent of merging, established and developing artists, the Mission Valley community is slowly becoming one of El Paso’s thriving art districts.

‘Envision the Mission Valley’ is currently featuring the works of Alberto Escamilla, Reginald Watterson, Bert Saldana, Stephanie Conroy, Rosa Maria Burgos, Gabriel Gaytan, Candy Mayer, Aida Mesa-Gallegos, Francisco Miranda S, Francisco Romero, Maria Branch, Al Borrego, Sharon Courtney, Susan Wester-Perez, Manuel Alvarado, June Smith, and Frank Moreno.

The Spanish style, state of the art facility created the ideal setting for the long anticipated venture that welcomed more than fifty visitors during the V.I.P Opening Reception. Guests eagerly browsed through the newly transformed branch to take in the more than 20 pieces on display, which included paintings, sculptures and photographs. Many of the artists were also present and readily available to discuss their work. We had the opportunity to catch up with Alberto Escamilla about his life’s passion.

Spend just a few minutes with Escamilla and you’ll soon learn his talent stems from a lifelong admiration of the group of artists known as the “Impressionists.” The serene landscapes he brings to life on canvas suggests a strong influence from artists such as 19^th century painter, Claude Monet. “It is their [Monet, Sisley and Pissarro] work that has laid the foundation and it is the great strength of that work that has given me the freedom to pursue their tradition,” writes Escamilla on his website.

The exhibit will continue to run through January 12, 2011. For more information or to purchase a piece, please contact our Main Office at 915.593.5866, or email us at marketing@epefcu.org.

Happy Holidays!

From all of us here at El Paso Employees FCU, we would like to wish you and your family warm holiday wishes this season. It has been a wonderful year and we'd like to take this time to once again express our thanks to all of the members of our credit union and online community. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Start Your New Years Resolution Today

The New Year is quickly approaching and soon many of us will begin once again to put into practice our new year’s resolutions. But you don’t have to wait until January 1st to begin implementing 2011’s resolution. With a few simple steps, you can begin creating a plan of action now and ensure that you’ll be financially sound and healthy come the new year.

Begin by evaluating your monthly expenses in order to determine what areas you might be able to cut out of your budget. If you’re trying to pay down your debt, you’ll need to make the decision to change the way you live your life. Spending five dollars a day on a cup of coffee or nine dollars for a movie ticket not to mention the cost of popcorn, soda, and candy every other weekend is not a necessary expense. While you may rationalize these seemingly small expenditures, you’ll need to keep in mind that every little bit of money saved could be used to pay down a credit card or other monthly bill. Sorting out necessary vs. unnecessary expenses may be difficult, but setting financial limits will help you become financially successful in the long run.

Create a budget and a plan and stick to it! For most of us, we don’t only have a balance on one card; we have high balances on multiple cards. There are many different ways to approach paying down debt. Yahoo.com for example recommends that you concentrate payments toward the debt with the highest associated annual percentage rate. Dave Ramsey, financial expert, suggest the “snowball effect” when paying down debt. His website suggests paying off the smallest debt first to create the greatest momentum in your debt snowball. According to Ramsey, personal finance is 20% head knowledge and 80% behavior. People, he says, need some quick wins in order to stay pumped enough to get out of debt completely. In any case, choose the strategy that works best for you.

Do not ignore your bills.  Successfully managing regular monthly payments is an essential part of staying debt free. If you are having difficulty paying any of your debts however, ignoring them will not make them go away. A large part of being financially successful is to have a healthy credit score, and ignoring payments will only affect you negatively. Call you lender to try to negotiate interest rates or even lower monthly minimum payments. You might be surprised that many lenders will be willing to work with you rather than not receive any payment at all. In any case, remember that it never hurts to try.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, make plans to set aside money into an emergency fund. You never know when you’ll need money for a large expense, and having to use your credit card to pay for an emergency will only catapult you into the debt cycle all over again.

Remember that your efforts won’t work unless you take the initiative to commit yourself wholeheartedly. And while the road to financial freedom may be difficult at first, the end result will be well worth the effort.

 

Were these tips helpfu? What steps have you taken to get out of debt? Share with us! We'd love to read your tips!

Santa Visits El Paso

On Saturday, December, 11^th, El Paso Employees FCU and the City of El Paso teamed up to host the Celebration of Lights which included the 75^th annual tree lighting ceremony, a fireworks and laser light show, and the parade! Our prize winning float was the last entry in the parade and carried the much anticipated Mr. and Mrs. Clause! We had a fantastic time, and plan to continue to sponsor this event for the next five years.

In honor of our partnership, we have also created a limited edition holiday ornament which can be purchased at any one of our eight locations, and at the Candlelighter’s Office headquarters located at 1400 Hardway Ste. 206. All of the proceeds raised will be donated to the Candlelighters, an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children who have cancer by providing hope, support, encouragement, advocacy and education to those children, their families, and the community at large. Please help us support this remarkable cause this holiday season!

 

Check out our Facebook Page for more Celebration of Lights pictures!

Thinking of Giving?

The holidays are a time of year that fill many of us with the giving spirit, but finding a charity to make a contribution to can be a bit overwhelming. According to the American Institute of Philanthropy, tax exempt organizations are the fastest growing sector in the U. S. economy. Over 68,000 new charities were created between 2006 and 2007 and there are nearly 1.9 million nonprofit organizations, each competing for your funds. So where should you start?

Begin by finding a charity that best suits you.  Maybe you have a family member who has recently been diagnosed with cancer and you feel strongly about giving your money towards the research for a cure. Or maybe you’ve known someone who has been a victim of domestic abuse and you’d like to give your money to an organization that dedicates their resources towards helping these victims. In any case, it’s important to find a cause that you feel passionate about in order to narrow down your choices.

Once you decide on a cause, the next step is to decide whether or not you’d like to make a contribution to a local charity or a national organization, such as the Red Cross. Making this decision will help narrow down your choices even further when it comes time to choose which charity you’ll be contributing too.

After you’ve compiled a list of organizations that appeal to you, do your homework. Organizations such as the American Institute of Philanthropy or the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance act as charity watchdogs whose purpose is to help donors make informed giving decisions. Use their charity rating guide to help you determine which charity will make the most of your money.

When you finally do make a decision, become familiar with your charity. Request written literature, such as their latest annual report, a list of the board of directors, and their mission statement, look for evidence of prevalent results so that you can be sure that the charity is fulfilling its mission. According to the secretary of state's office, it is recommended that at least 65 percent of a charity's total revenue be spent on activities directly related to the program's charitable purpose.

Verify the organization’s tax status. According to AIP, tax exempt means the organization does not have to pay taxes, while the term tax deductible means the donor can deduct contributions to the charity on his or her federal income tax return. If the charity does not have a tax exempt letter indicating its status with the IRS, you cannot legitimately claim your contribution as a tax deduction. Please remember however that everyone's situation is different and we reccomend that you consult your finacial advisor or tax consultant first. You can view a list of charities and non-profits that are eligible for tax-deductible contributions on the IRS website.

There are many tools that can help you make an informed giving decision this holiday season. Do your homework to ensure that you protect yourself and your sensitive information.

 

Have you chosen to donate to a charity this holiday season? How did you decide where to give your funds to? Let us know! We'd be honored to read your comments!

 

Christmas in the Plaza is Almost Here!

We are very excited to have teamed up with the City of El Paso this year as the sponsors of the Celebration of Lights on December 11, 2010! Everyone is doing their part as we prepare for the Christmas festivities. In an effort to do our part, we have created a limited edition holiday ornament which we will be selling at each of our eight branch locations. Make sure to pick one up and help support the children of Candlelighters. According to their website, the Candlelighters organization is dedicated to enriching the lives of children who have cancer by providing hope, support, encouragement, advocacy and education to those children, their families, and the community at large. They seek to ease the frustration and fears of children and their families through an emotional support system comprised of children with cancer, the professionals who treat them, and the dedicated volunteers.

 

Our prize winning float will also be participating during the parade this year. Don’t forget, if you want to ride on the El Paso Employees float during the parade, you must enter before December 8^th.