The People Behind LCFCU - Karen Stevens

Good People. Great Stories. Karen Stevens.

Every community has stories worth telling. Sometimes, you just have to look beyond the obvious to find them.

At Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union, we're fortunate to cross paths with some pretty remarkable people—members who give back, business owners who put their hearts into what they do, volunteers who make things happen, and neighbors whose talents, passions and generosity deserve to be shared.

The People Behind LCFCU is our way of telling those stories.

These aren't necessarily stories about banking. They're stories about people—the things they create, the causes they care about, the businesses they've built, the challenges they've taken on, and the ways they make our communities a little better.

Good People. Great Stories.
They're all around us.

More Than a Basket: Karen Steven’s Reason for Giving

For Lisbon Community FCU member Karen Stevens, supporting the Campaign for Ending Hunger is personal.

Every basket in Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union's annual Basket Raffle has a story.

Someone chooses a theme. Someone shops for just the right items. Someone carefully puts everything together. And eventually, someone drops a ticket into a container hoping their name will be the one called.

For the past two years, many of those stories have started with Lisbon Community FCU member Karen Stevens.

Karen donated 12 baskets to our raffle last year—and another 12 this year. Twenty-four baskets, each thoughtfully assembled to help raise money in the fight against hunger.

But ask Karen about what she's done, and she quickly redirects the attention.

"It's not about me," she says. "It's about the campaign. It's about the people."

And when you hear Karen talk about why the cause matters to her, you understand why.

Creating Something Someone Will Love

Karen and her husband, Chris, have been Lisbon Community FCU members for more than half their lives. Having worked in banking herself, Karen says she was drawn to the credit union because of its hometown feel and the connection that comes from knowing the people who serve you.

"It's that feeling knowing that your money is secure, and that the people that you're talking to, you're face to face, and you see them out in the same community," she explains. "You're not a number to them."

That sense of community eventually connected Karen with our Basket Raffle and the Campaign for Ending Hunger.

Karen had already volunteered and donated to LACO when she saw information about the raffle through Lisbon Community FCU's social media. Once she realized the fundraiser supported the fight against hunger, she decided to get involved.

And when Karen gets involved, she puts her heart into it.

She shops throughout the year, where an interesting item might spark an idea. Sometimes an entire basket begins with one unique find.

Her approach is simple: imagine the person on the other side.

"What would make me happy? What would I like to see? What would I want?"

She also thinks about the person standing in front of the finished baskets deciding where to put a raffle ticket.

"If I were going to spend money on a raffle, which one would I really want?"

The result has been two years of creative, carefully assembled baskets that have helped make our raffle bigger, more exciting and, most importantly, more successful in raising money for the Campaign for Ending Hunger.

A Cause With Personal Meaning

For Karen, helping people facing hunger isn't an abstract cause. It's something she understands from personal experience.

Growing up, there were times when Karen's family struggled to make ends meet and having enough food wasn't always something she could take for granted.

Those experiences stayed with her.

"I know what it's like to wonder where your next meal is coming from," Karen says.

Today, those memories have become part of what motivates her to help others.

Karen understands that behind phrases like "food insecurity" are real people and families making difficult choices—sometimes between groceries and other necessities.

And often, you would never know they were struggling.

You Never Know Someone Else's Story

That's one of the messages Karen hopes people take away from her story.

"People don't know what they don't know."

It's a philosophy that has shaped the way she looks at others: Be kind to everyone, because you don't know their story.

It's also why Karen believes making a difference doesn't have to begin with a grand gesture.

Someone might look at her 12 baskets and think, I could never do that.

But that's not what Karen wants people to see.

"It's not the amount or the quantity," she says. "It's the individual taking that first step and recognizing there's a need."

One basket matters.

One donated item matters.

One raffle ticket matters.

One conversation about hunger matters.

Because when enough people decide to take that first step, individual acts of kindness become something much bigger.

"I Just Want to Make a Difference"

Ask Karen which of her 24 baskets is her favorite, and she can't choose.

She says she would have been happy to win any one of them herself.

And that's intentional.

Whether it's the person who wins a basket, the person who buys a ticket, or ultimately the neighbor who receives help because of the money raised, Karen wants the same thing.

"I just want to make a difference."

That's also why this story isn't really about 24 baskets.

It's about one member choosing to turn personal understanding into compassion for others.

It's about businesses, members, staff and neighbors each doing what they can.

It's about recognizing a need—and taking that first step.

And, thankfully, Karen isn't finished.

When asked if there might be more Karen Stevens baskets in next year's raffle, the answer came quickly:

"Oh, yeah."

She just hasn't started shopping yet.

For More Information:

If you have any questions, please contact Ron Hood in our Marketing Office: 

Ron Hood
Marketing Officer
207-353-4144
r.hood@lisboncu.org
Confidentiality Note: Please do not send sensitive or personal information through this email.

Thank you for your interest in the People Behind LCFCU. Be sure to check back here for updates or follow Lisbon Community FCU on Facebook and Instagram.