Petaluma, Calif. (May 16, 2019) — Employees from national debt collection agency Optio Solutions participated in a handful of activities to support Collectors Challenge, an annual fundraiser by the ACA International Education Foundation for its Loomer-Mortenson Scholarship program. Staff members in two Optio offices (Petaluma, Calif. and Fargo, N.D.) were joined by employees from parent company CrossCheck (Petaluma and Irving, Texas) to aggregate a total of $1,682.35 in donations.
“Collectors Challenge was especially meaningful for us this year,” said Optio President and CEO Chris 
Schumacher (pictured here with Supervisor Janelle Dent). “We planned fun activities to encourage donations, and furthermore, two students who are the children of company employees both qualified for $1,000 scholarships in 2018.”
This April marked the fourth consecutive year of employee participation in Collectors Challenge, and management found creative ways of promoting it internally:
- Special Dress Down Days (shorts, athletic pants, T-shirts, pro sports attire, flip flops and caps) in all three offices (two weeks of dress down for $20 donations or three weeks for $30).
- Front Row Parking — weekly raffles of two parking spaces in Petaluma (three tickets for $1).
- Bake Sales in Petaluma and Fargo on Fri., April 26.
- Pancake Breakfast in Petaluma on Thu., April 25 — Cooked and served by management (pictured in the featured photo and linked video) with the option of having it delivered to work stations on a cart by a vice president (pancakes, sausage, Danish pastries, and orange juice for $5).
Numerous employees from Optio and CrossCheck contributed to Collectors Challenge on one or more levels.
Optio and CrossCheck employees frequently participate in programs by national and local non-profits, including the Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, Redwood Gospel Mission’s Great Thanksgiving Banquet, numerous American Red Cross campaigns, and the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s weekday Warehouse Support program.
About the ACA Education Foundation
Founded in 1995, the ACA International Education Foundation is a philanthropic program of ACA International. Every April, credit and collections professionals support the ACA International Education Foundation’s scholarship program in a nationwide fundraising effort called Collectors Challenge.
Money raised through Collectors Challenge allows the ACA International Education Foundation to expand its efforts in financial education and instills a more positive public image of the industry. The foundation has two primary education initiatives:
- ACA International Loomer Mortenson Education Scholarship Program — a scholarship advancing the higher education of people connected to the credit and collection industry.
- Foundation Fellow Award — presented each year to recognize the individual or company that made the most significant contribution in support of the foundation and its goals.
About Optio Solutions, LLC
Optio Solutions, LLC is a national debt collection agency focused on improving ROI and protecting its clients’ brands via extensive financial services experience, advanced technology, certified data security, legal compliance and professionally designated staff. Optio is a member of ACA International and the California Association of Collectors. Optio maintains a headquarters in Petaluma, Calif. and a call center in Fargo, N.D.
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Contact
Andrew Donahey
Director of Marketing
Phone: 800-360-2827
Email: andrewd@cross-check.com
