Northwest Credit Unions Honor Their Members and Communities During International Credit Union Day

Posted by mhallinan on November 16, 2020

International Credit Union Day was Thursday, Oct. 15 — a day dedicated to reflecting on the global Credit Union Movement and celebrating all the ways credit unions contribute to a brighter future for millions of members around the world.

Northwest credit unions celebrated the day in various ways, from hosting giveaways on social media to volunteering with local nonprofits, demonstrating yet again an unwavering commitment to the “People Helping People” philosophy.

Here’s a look at how credit unions across the region honored the day:

• Pioneer Federal Credit Union, based in Mountain Home, Idaho, celebrated ICU Day with a fun $50 giveaway on its Facebook page. To be entered in the drawing, members were asked to take to the comments section to answer the question, “How does Pioneer ‘go there’ for you?”

“Pioneer goes there for me by having exceptional customer service with every interaction I have with them. You guys are the best!” one member wrote.

• OnPoint Community Credit Union, based in Portland, also took to social media to celebrate ICU Day. The credit union hosted a contest on its Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages, asking members to answer the question: “How has OnPoint impacted your community, or how would you like us to impact your community?” The winning member received a $250 cash prize and the opportunity to choose an organization for OnPoint to donate $250 to.

One member posted a comment saying, “OnPoint has allowed the Curvy Chic Closet Foundation to advertise our non-profit program and services at the Beaverton branch. This awareness has greatly helped the 501c3 nonprofit. Thank you!”

• Portland-based Unitus Community Credit Union’s President and CEO, Steve Stapp, spoke with Public News Service and reflected on the global difference credit unions make every day, especially in light of the pandemic and recent natural disasters. “We get funds to our local organizations, or national,” Stapp said. “Sometimes it’s the American Red Cross, so that we can give financial assistance to help people; one with temporary issues that they may have with housing or with food. And then, next is long-term, to help them rebuild.”

• For the fifth year in a row, 18 Spokane-area credit unions celebrated ICU Day by banding together to support a local nonprofit. This year, they spent the day fundraising and volunteering for the Women & Children’s Free Restaurant, a local nonprofit organization that provides free, nutritious meals to women and children living in Spokane. Last year alone, the Women and Children’s Free Restaurant provided over 500,000 meals to its community. This year, volunteers painted, cleaned, and assembled metal shelves, in addition to donating $23,000 for building renovations kitchen items and gas gift cards.

• Fibre Federal Credit Union, based in Longview, Washington, gave special #CreditUnionGood-themed cards filled with $10 bills to each of its 300 employees, encouraging them to perform an act of kindness in honor of ICU Day. Staff then spent the entire week doing kind deeds, such as surprising neighbors and strangers with flowers or treats, supporting animal shelters, paying for groceries or meals for strangers, helping others with gas money, and bringing cheer to hard-working shelter workers and firefighters.

One employee told a story of how her team joined forces to make a difference: “Our team added a little of our own money and decided to support the Corner Cafe by purchasing 20 breakfast burritos. We then walked them down the street to our local fire department and surprised everyone with breakfast on the credit union! This was a feel-good moment that we truly enjoyed!”

• Employees at Tapco Credit Union, based in Tacoma, Washington, dedicated their day to two special projects. First, they brought lunch to a dozen fire stations in the area, thanking firefighters for their hard work during the recent wildfires. Then, across town, a group of employees assisted with a cleanup project at Point Defiance on behalf of the Pierce County Parks & Natural Resources Department.

“With keeping to this year’s theme of ‘Inspiring Hope for a Global Community,’ we felt these projects encompass the credit union movement and support our local community,” said Angel Philips, TAPCO’s Director of Marketing.

Posted in Community Impact, Credit Union Response, Friends of the Foundation.