Toni Murphy, senior branch manager at Credit Union of America, welcomed Great Bend Chamber of Commerce members to this week’s Chamber Coffee, standing beneath the CUA logo and slogan “Welcome to Friendly.” Breakfast sandwiches were provided by Perks.
The institution started as a teachers’ credit union for a Wichita school in 1935. “We are still a teachers’ credit union as we focus on education and health in the area,” she said. “Just to give you an example, yesterday, I had to honor of getting to go to the middle school here in town and award teachers some TGIF grants. (That stands for) Teach, Grow and Inspire the Future. I get to go in with a giant check ... to fund projects that are going on in the schools.”
Last year, CUA gave over $780,000 back to the communities it serves, including over $450,000 to education, she continued. It also supports United Way and the Children’s Miracle Network.
When CUA hosted the chamber coffee this time last year, Murphy announced a new branch was opening in Manhattan. This year, she said a branch is opening in Hays. The building is under construction off of Vine Street and Centennial.
She also mentioned products offered at the branch, including 15-month Certificates of Deposit with a 4.2% annual yield and auto loan rates as low as 5.24% for up to 60 months. “So we do like to stay pretty competitive,” she said.
CUA will be in the Home for the Holidays Parade on Nov. 29.
Chamber announcements
• Chamber volunteer Arlen Schroeder reminded everyone, “There is a Christmas tree in the lobby at the Chamber. It needs to be decorated with gloves, mittens, hats and scarves (to give to children). Right now it looks like a Charlie Brown tree.”
• Barton Community College’s last Student Music Recital for 2025 is on Dec. 2, said Lindsey Bogner, executive director of the Barton Foundation. “We also have our Central Kansas Community Choir Concert (on Dec. 8 at First United Methodist Church, 2123 Forest Ave., Great Bend), and we’re bringing back “The Nutcracker” again; the Metropolitan Ballet from Wichita is going to perform that on Dec. 14 (at Barton’s Fine Arts Auditorium).”
• Heartland Community Church will have a community lunch on Christmas Day and they are looking for donations. Contact Sandra Burton at Sandra Burton Massage; she will also be available for massages on Saturday, Nov. 29.
• Dec. 2 is Giving Tuesday.
• Linda McCaffery is a volunteer on Wednesdays at Golden Harvest Thrift Store, the new boutique-style store operated by Catholic Charities at 2410 Main St. She noted that all of the money raised there stayed in Barton County, “So I encourage every to stop by and see us.”
• There will be no Chamber Coffee on Thanksgiving Day. The next coffee will be at 9 a.m. on Dec. 4 at the Barton County Historical Society Village and Museum, located at 85 South U.S. 281, Great Bend.
