APPLE VALLEY, Calif.-Nine former employees at High Desert FCU who lost their jobs after the credit union was placed into conservatorship by NCUA have banded together to form a support group. It's also led to some national attention.
Below, those nine former HDFCU staffers, Debbie Geiger, Clara Gaston, Maxine Calloway, Cindy Bailey, Lynda Pascoe, Pam Carver, Sylvia Close, Linda Sirk and Jackie Morgan, talk to Credit Union Journal about why they formed the group.
Credit Union Journal: How did this support group come together?
Debbie Geiger: We were all laid off at the same time, Dec. 12 last year, after having worked together for a long time. Sixteen of us were laid off at the same time. Ten of us live near each other and began getting together for coffee and support.
Clara Gaston: There are usually 10 of us, although there are only nine here today. The local paper did a story on us, which led to CBS News doing a report on our group.
Debbie Geiger: We were getting together and chatting about things we needed to do, such as applying for unemployment, and taking care of our medical insurance and retirement plans. Some of us didn't need medical insurance, and one person had trouble signing up for unemployment benefits, so we helped her. Eventually, we contacted an investment counselor to discuss our options with our retirement funds.
CUJ: What do each of you get from the group?
Linda Sirk: The main thing I've gotten out of it is support. When you are down and out and don't want to go out and look for a job, someone calls and says let's go to lunch. It helps to have someone else to go through things with. If I had to go by myself to the last interview I probably wouldn't have.
Maxine Calloway: We get lots of different ideas from each other. People have helped me with my resume, which I'm not good at, so that is a help.
Jackie Morgan: Another support we have for each other is when someone is out and hears of a position that is open, we pass it along to someone else. I do it, and the others do it for me. Whoever we think will fit the bill, we pass it on to them.
Cindy Bailey: We give moral support and keep in touch with each other daily. We keep each other supported.
Sylvia Close: Something else we have done concerns one member that is having more financial difficulties than the rest of us. We pooled together our resources to help her and her family.
CUJ: Have any of you found new jobs?
Jackie Morgan: I've gotten three interviews with one company, Debbie has had two interviews. I haven't looked for a job for 26 years. Back then you walked in, handed someone your resume and talked. Today, it is all online, which is very intimidating.
Lynda Pascoe: We have been contacted by several people in the community, including a company that wanted to give us makeovers at no expense. The local college, Victor Valley College, has been very supportive. We were invited to come do a resume makeover. Also, after we appeared on the news a Realtor called with an opening and wanted to speak with people who had experience in real estate and mortgage. A gentleman who has connections with a headhunter said he could get us interviews.
CUJ: What is next?
Debbie Geiger: We are working on creating a website, not really knowing a whole lot about how to do so. We hope it will help people know they are not the only one who is unemployed. It is easy to feel that way, and you need help brushing yourself off.
Clara Gaston: Our website will have a section with resources, including some that people may not realize are out there. There will be a place for our stories and what we've gone through, and what reactions we've gotten. Not everyone is as lucky as us to have this family-which comes from having worked together at the credit union.
Eventually, there will be a section for people to post their resumes and for employers to post jobs. That is down the road-we need to set it up first and then figure out how to post jobs. We've never set up a website before; ask me about accounting, I can do that!
