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A hub of stories, knowledge and resources that help shape financial futures and a better community.
Follow along
This summer, orsa credit union partners with Laura Killingbeck, renowned adventurer and author, as she rides from the Upper Peninsula to Detroit to raise awareness and support for survivors of domestic and economic abuse in Michigan. Along the way she’ll connect with Michiganders, survivors, and non-profit partners to explore real women’s stories and share her journey.
Our Storyteller
Laura Killingbeck
Laura is an award-winning writer, storyteller, keynote speaker and adventurer who has cycled thousands of miles on long-distance bike trips, sharing tales from the road through magazine features and public speaking. Her journeys span continents and cultures, blending grit with human connection and inspiring audiences to embrace their own journeys with courage and curiosity.
Choose The Bear
In Laura's Words
Story
An Interview with the Team at The Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCEDSV): Part 3 of 3
On July 17, as part of the Choose The Bear Tour, Laura Killingbeck interviewed team members of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. The third and final part of the interview explores financial abuse, economic control, and the role that financial institutions can play in supporting survivors.
Story
An Interview with the Team at The Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCEDSV): Part 2 of 3
On July 17, as part of the Choose The Bear Tour, Laura Killingbeck interviewed team members of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. Part 2 dives deeper into social inequalities, intersectionality, and advocacy as a social movement.
Story
An Interview with the Team at The Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCEDSV): Part 1 of 3
On July 17, as part of the Choose The Bear Tour, Laura Killingbeck interviewed team members of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence about the evolution and importance of survivor-centered, trauma-informed support.
Debit Donation Methods
Support with every debit swipe
The biggest changes can come from the smallest starts. When we work together, every act adds up—which is why we’ve added different ways to support survivors directly to your orsa debit card. From spare change to pitching in for free, there’s a way for everyone to get involved.
grow & give
With CloseEnuff® checking's grow & give feature, you can round up your spare change to the nearest dollar with every debit purchase. Put it toward savings, a charity of your choice, or both! You choose the growing to giving ratio that works for you. So, every purchase means making progress for you and Michigan survivors.
To help grow the Choose The Bear Fund® with every swipe, simply turn on grow & give in digital banking and set your roundup donations to the orsa foundation™.
Debit swipe donations
Your debit card can make donations with our money! Every time you spend, we’ll give one cent to a local orsa partner of your choice—including the Choose The Bear Fund®.
Doing good doesn’t have to cost a thing, and all it takes to get started is a CloseEnuff® checking account. Once open, just call our Care Center at (877) 937-2328 to set your debit swipes to the Choose The Bear Fund®.
Choose The Bear Fund®
How to help
Donations to the Choose the Bear Fund® go to organizations that support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and economic abuse in Michigan. Helping ensure that every survivor has access to the help they need.
Choose The Bear® Initiative
Help for survivors
If you or a loved one may be facing economic abuse in Michigan, tap below for resources and more information. Through our Choose The Bear initiative, we’re working to support women facing domestic violence and economic abuse. We aim to fill a huge gap in the financial services industry by offering true empathy, understanding, and creative support.
Two ways to donate:
2. Donate directly to the
Choose the Bear Fund®
The orsa foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Your receipt will be emailed to you upon successful completion of your donation.Tour Partners
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Facebook:
@laura.killingbeck.1
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