"Because of him"

by Bob Perks

When you think of volunteering would you ever think about volunteering where you bank?

???Sure.  I??™ll volunteer to guard the money??? you might say.  Actually that??™s exactly what they do.

It is a fact that one of the largest volunteer organizations in the world is made of people who save their money together.  You might even belong to one.  A Credit Union.

Credit Unions are non-profit organizations owned by their membership who have a say in how they operate.  Each state in the United States has a league or Credit Union System with local chapters that meet to plan and shape the future of what they call the ???movement???.  Each chapter is made up of volunteers who govern the chapter.  Besides watching over their own money, they also are heavily involved in community and national charities.

Once you become involved with credit union programs you are hooked for life.  Simply because every decision they make benefits an entire community.  These volunteers have it in their blood. 

But no one more than Mike Pesta.  He is Credit Union.  In fact, for much of his working life he was employed by one.  But his commitment went well beyond that.

You see I owe him my life.

I had been successful in life working, raising a family and enjoying local celebrity status of sorts with my professional affiliation with the Public Broadcasting Station.  After five years of on air hosting and membership drives I moved on to become the Development Director for a non-profit.

In 1990 they fired me.  That??™s when I crashed.  My entire life was spinning out of control.  Financially I was on the brink of bankruptcy.  But then Mike Pesta stepped in. 

I had been a Credit Union member for about 10 years never really understanding what it was all about.  But when it came time to fight off the creditors I called Mike.  I had no income and I was deep in debt.  When I arrived for my appointment with Mike all this man could see was my potential.  All I could see was a failure.

But then he said the words that would change my life.  Looking me straight in the eye he said, ???Bob, I??™ve been watching you all of these years.  I??™ve seen you on television and many times in the newspapers.  I??™d don??™t know what??™s happened here, but I want you to know that I believe in you.???

There it was.  ???I believe in you!???   You can??™t begin to imagine the impact that had on me.  Oh, I know there are people in my life who love me.  But next to the words ???I love you???, telling someone ???I believe in you!??? is the most powerful thing you can say.

But I had deemed myself a failure.  Just the day before I lie crying on the floor of my living room because I wanted to die.  I had been begging God to end my life.  Now I stood looking at a man who saw in me all that was good and positive.

Why?  Ask Mike and he??™ll tell you the story of ???Little Man.???  This was the cartoon-like figure used to promote the Credit Union movement in its earlier days.  ???Little Man??? walked with an umbrella to protect him.  That umbrella embodied all that the credit union members and volunteers believed in.