Vibe Credit Union has long had a reputation for giving back and supporting a variety of community events, organizations, and initiatives.

Its culture is “driven by something different,” and that means having a positive impact on the areas they serve. During the month of February, Vibe will be running the “VibeStrong Novi” campaign to award a total of $6,000 to six different Novi-based organizations. A public vote will take place on social media from Feb 1-22, with the top vote getters in each category receiving $1,200, second place $1,000, and third place $800.

The organizations in the “Novi VIP” group are the Novi High School Athletic Boosters, Novi Rotary, and Zelphia’s Community Kitchen, while the “Novi Hero” group is the Novi Community Coalition, Novi Feed the Need, and Novi Youth Assistance.

“We hope to not only provide money for these charities but also help them raise awareness for the work they are doing in the community,” said Stephanie Leahy, Vice President of Marketing for Vibe.

This is the third VibeStrong campaign in a Michigan community – Livonia and Oxford were the others – and came about when Linda Smith, Community Engagement Coordinator at Vibe, heard about a similar contest in another state.

It fit with the company’s philosophy of “caring for the community,” and Smith immediately started to brainstorm ideas for charities. Those selected focus on working with youth, food insecurities, mental health, and more.

Here’s a look at the organizations:

NHS ATHLETIC BOOSTERS
A non-profit that supports all the athletic programs at Novi High School and Novi Middle School by raising funds to supplement the Athletic Department budget for team donations, strength and conditioning, technology, specialized equipment, and scholarships. The club is comprised of parents of student athletes and other interested adults.

NOVI ROTARY
There are Four Avenues of Service the Novi Rotarians believe in. The first is Club Service, focusing on strengthening fellowship and ensuring effective functioning of the Club. There’s Vocational Service, which encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards. Community Service covers the projects and activities the Club undertakes to improve life in its community. Finally, International Service encompasses actions taken to expand Rotary’s humanitarian reach around the globe and promote world understanding and peace.

ZELPHIA’S COMMUNITY KITCHEN
The non-profit’s vision is to ensure no one goes hungry, that no food is wasted in our community, and no one is denied the opportunity or assistance to become self-sufficient while being committed to improving the quality of life and restoring the dignity of those we serve. Zelphia’s currently distributes to three different cities and has provided food to thousands of families on a weekly basis.

NOVI COMMUNITY COALITION
A non-profit dedicated to working in partnership with the community to empower youth to make positive life choices, thereby reducing the use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and related risky behaviors, while promoting a healthy community through prevention, recovery, and support. Also a member of the Oakland County Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities.

NOVI FEED THE NEED
Spearheaded by the Novi Rotary, the mission of Feed the Need is to feed each child’s body, mind, and spirit in a dignified manner. The program provides 11 weeks of free lunches, crafts, programs, guest speakers, tutoring, health fair, field trips, and activities to children who need it most during the summer months.

NOVI YOUTH ASSISTANCE
A local branch of Oakland County Youth Assistance, the non-profit focuses on providing early intervention programs that offer support and education to families in the community. Its mission is to strengthen youth and families and to prevent and reduce the incidence of delinquency, neglect, and abuse through community involvement.

For Jenna Grabowski, Social Media Specialist at Vibe, it’s exciting to work at a place that values others and supported over 90 organizations in 2021 alone.

“On a personal level, you see the needs in the community and everywhere you look there is someone in need even if you don’t know it,” she said. “To work at a place where your employer cares about the same things you do is very cool.”

Voting for VibeStrong Novi will take place at facebook.com/VibeCreditUnion. People can vote once per day.

Vibe Credit Union has locations throughout southeast Michigan, with its headquarters located at 44575 W. 12 Mile Road in Novi. For more information, visit vibecreditunion.com.