Lana Hendricks, Member Consultant at Purdue Federal Credit Union’s Crown Point branch, strives to embody the credit union’s core philosophy – people helping people.
Hendricks adheres to this philosophy at work, where she serves as a trusted advisor and problem solver for any member in need. She does it through her excellent teamwork, making sure everyone she works with has a helping hand when needed. She does it with the volunteer hours she spends at events with her co-workers. She does all of that, but she also extends that philosophy to make it all-encompassing.
“People helping people is awesome, but in general it’s just about ‘people helping,’” Hendricks said. “Purdue Federal appreciates what you do anywhere and that you have a good heart. I love helping people at the office, helping people in the community, and I really love helping animals.”
All her life, Hendricks has had a deep love for animals, even back when her dad would not let her keep a family pet.
“I’d walk my stuffed animals around the neighborhood on a rope,” she said. “I was the kid that’d always cry if something happened to an animal in a cartoon, telling my mom ‘I want to help that doggy!’”
Now, Hendricks’ family has two canine members, Bella (a 13-year-old lab mix) and Layla (a 5-year-old beagle).
“If I had to choose between feeding myself or feeding my dogs, I’d feed my dogs,” she said. “Animals, they don’t hide anything. They trust you and are the most honest things on Earth.”
Hendricks is a highly active volunteer, spending hours each weekend and whenever she can after work during the week at Lakeshore PAWS, which is a nonprofit dog shelter, and Midwest Beagle Rescue, Education & Welfare (BREW).
At Lakeshore PAWS, she helps care for the dogs, spends time playing with and comforting them, and helping with their Pet Pantry project, which offers food and supplies to pet owners in need. She also organized a holiday donation drive from her home, which is located on a street well-
known for its extravagantly decorated homes during winter. She collected pet supplies from visitors who stopped by to tour the lights and gave them all to Lakeshore PAWS.
“It’s the most amazing place with the most amazing people,” she said. “There’s a lot of love there. They do so much good for so many animals and families.”
At Midwest BREW, she helps beagles find loving foster homes by meeting with potential families. Krystina Ramirez, Sales Manager of the Crown Point Purdue Federal branch, said that it is that kind of work that exemplifies what the credit union is all about.
“That passion and dedication she shows animals really speaks for itself,” Ramirez said. “It lets you know she’s someone who is always going to come through. There are days when the weather isn’t great and everyone is kind of waiting to head home, but she’ll chime in and talk about how she’s going to stop by the shelter.”
Hendricks is actually responsible for introducing a new member to Ramirez’s family; her beagle, Journey.
“The whole family loves Journey, she’s our baby,” Ramirez said. “Lana just spreads that kind of joy to other people.”
For Hendricks, that spirit of volunteerism is second nature, and she is thrilled to work at a place such as Purdue Federal that values people like her.
“This kind of work, it’s the best thing that I can do, one of the most important things that I can do,” she said. “It’s just who I am. I could never work in a job where I wasn’t helping somebody.” To learn more about Purdue Federal Credit Union, visit https://www.purduefed.com/.
