Sunday, March 9, 2014

Windham resident represents Young & Free Maine - By Elizabeth Richards


Maine’s credit unions have found a fun way to engage the “Gen Y” crowd. Windham resident Lauren Reeves is the Spokester for Young & Free Maine, a statewide effort in which she represents credit unions to the millennial generation. Her job has her creating an online presence by blogging, posting and tweeting on the Young & Free Maine website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – all sites that people her age often visit daily she said. 
 
Young & Free Maine is designed to inform Maine’s 18- to 25-year-olds about credit unions and encourage membership, as well as offering financial tips and advice in a format that this generation is open to. “It’s easier for some people to hear it from someone their age rather than their moms and dads,” said Reeves. “It’s not that the same skills aren’t there. You have to know the same things your parents do, but it’s not in the same platform,” she said.

 It’s not enough to simply inform the Gen Y crowd about the benefits of credit unions and offer financial advice. If all she posted was financial advice, said Reeves, people wouldn’t want to visit the site. Instead, she posts on a wide variety of topics from simple recipes to area events, giveaways, contests and more. “It’s not always about finances, but it might relate to how to maintain a healthy lifestyle on a budget,” she said. “Some things have more relation to finances, some things don’t. Some things are just fun,” she added.
 
In addition to her online responsibilities, Reeves spends a great deal of time out in communities, attending events hosted by individual credit unions across the state. Reeves works to support all of the credit unions in the state, a task made easier by her employer, the Maine Credit Union League. “I could not imagine working with all 63 credit unions without the Maine Credit Union League,” she said. “They really let me know who’s who, and what’s going on.” Events she participates in span a wide range of activities, from running a 5K to raise money to end hunger in Maine to driving her flashy bright green Young & Free car in community parades. 

Young & Free Maine is part of a larger Young & Free network, though many Spokesters in other areas are supporting the needs of just one credit union, Reeves said. This network is a great resource for Reeves, who said they all work together to share ideas and brainstorm. 


Reeves said the information she provides is important to her generation because they are the future borrowers. “I think credit unions want to get the young people on board now so you know what to do,” she said. The website provides resources to inform this younger generation of the differences between a bank and a credit union, and figure out what might come next for them financially. “I think that a lot of young people have preconceived notions about credit unions that aren’t necessarily true anymore,” she added. “They have the same services and conveniences as a bank does. A lot of young people don’t know that.”

Reeves began her job last July. It is a one year position, after which a new Spokester will be selected in order to keep the site fresh, she said. Reeves landed the position by applying to a contest after graduating from the University of Maine. The process included submitting a video, uploading a profile onto the Young & Free Maine website, and then going through a public voting phase. Though that was a nerve wracking experience, she said, she was confident that she had the skills to do the job, so decided to go for it. Reeves is the third Spokester for Young & Free Maine. 

Even though this job is a short-term position, Reeves said she thinks that she fell into the credit union world for a reason. “It’s something I can really believe in, so it might be something that I continue to work for and in,” she said. 

The Young & Free Maine blog, videos and connections to Young & Free Maine social media can be found at www.youngfreemaine.com.

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