MADISON, Wis.–Credit unions around the world are rolling out a number of activities to mark International Credit Union Week this week, including International CU Day on Thursday.
Among those events:
- WESTconsin Credit Union is planning free community shred events at several locations, and also marking ICU Day with refreshments, beverages, door prizes, kids activities and more at its 14 offices. Consumers may bring up to two boxes/bags or 100 pounds of materials to be shredded. Additional shredding is available for $5 per box/bag.
- In Battle Creek, Mich., Kellogg Community FCU is inviting its members and the community to stop by any of their branch locations for refreshments, drawings, and giveaways.
- Across Minnesota, 14 CUs are participating in an orchestrated day to spread kindness in communities. Nearly 1,000 credit union employees will dedicate more than 6,200 total volunteer hours to scatter kindness in their communities. Participating credit unions estimate that the collective efforts on this day will impact more than 18,000 people in 36 communities, organizers said.
The statewide day of kindness was inspired by “Plus It Forward Day,” which was created by Affinity Plus FCU in 2013 (see graphic, below). This year’s participants include Affinity Plus, City & County CU, First Alliance CU, Heartland CU, Hiway Federal, Mayo Employees FCU, Mid-Minnesota FCU, North Memorial FCU, SharePoint CU, Soo Line CU, St. Cloud FCU, Topline FCU, Virginia Co-op CU, and the Minnesota CU Network.
- In Michigan, Forest Area Federal Credit Union plans to “surprise” the staff of its Kingsley, Mich., branch location with an early morning activity today. The activity will direct the branch team to take $500 provided to them by the credit union and “pay it forward” into their community. Forest Area FCU will kick off its full staff meeting today by directing the Kingsley Branch Team to spend that hour and then return to the meeting to share their experiences. Forest Area FCU performed this Pay it Forward Activity with their Kalkaska Branch location in February of 2015 with great results.
- In New York, several cash mobs have been organized, including one that will meet in Syracuse at the Books End bookstore. Any children’s books purchased can be donated to the local “Success By Six” program that provides free books to children.
- In Florida, GTE Financial Credit Union will on International CU Day unveil a “virtual grand opening” of a new 3-D environment on its website. The site can be found at www.gtefinancial.org. The credit union said it will also have a special announcement in “3-D,” unveiling on Oct. 15 the grand prize winner of its “Home Free with GTE” contest at 2 p.m. ET.
- The Disclosures, credit unions’ only education-focused rock band, will be releasing a fun and informative video for credit union employees on International Credit Union (ICU) Day.
The video is intended for employees who may not know the purpose behind ICU Day and how important it is to celebrate and share the credit union roots and mission.
“Given the ICU Day theme of ‘people helping people’ this year, we wanted to give something back to the industry that has given us so much,” said band member Christopher Morris. “Our presentation style is loose and light-hearted, and we prefer guitars to a slide deck, so we hope credit unions find value and joy in sharing our message with staff.”
If interested in viewing and sharing The Disclosures’ ICU Day video, visit the band’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/user/thedisclosures and subscribe to be notified as soon as it’s uploaded. The video’s estimated run time will be 20-30 minutes.
- In British Columbia, First Credit Union & Insurance and Westview Agencies closed for a day last week to enable all 140 employees to make a positive difference by volunteering in the community they serve.
“The purpose of our organization is to strengthen the well-being of our members-clients and make a meaningful community impact,” explained Tara Chernoff, marketing and community impact manager. “This is an opportunity for us to lend a hand and show our gratitude to some of the remarkable non-profit organizations which work every day for the benefit of others. We’re calling this our Community Impact Day.”
This year’s ICU Day theme, People Helping People, was credited as the inspiration for First Credit Union’s Community Impact Day, said Chernoff.
The organizations being helped during the Community Impact Day include Powell River Therapeutic Riding, Powell River Hospice Society, PRPAWS (Sunshine Coast Trail), Community Resource Centre, Success by 6 (Orca Bus), Assumption Soup Kitchen, Powell River Gymnastics Society, BOMB Squad, Evergreen Extended Care and Powell River Regional Cemetery.
- CUToday.info is also running a video series all this week with individual credit unions extending their best wishes for International CU Week.