CALGARY, Alberta–Putting a local spin on the 12 Days of Christmas, Connect First Credit Union here surprised 81 members by paying off credit card balances, paying rent and more.
The credit union made the holidays brighter for the select members to live its motto, “Our mission is to make money make a difference,” and to help the many members who are struggling here as the once booming, oil-driven Alberta economy has slowed due to lower prices for oil.
Across the 13 communities it serves, the 81 members were helped this way:
- 12 Visa payments waived
- 11 MasterCards paid
- 10 AMACs payments made
- 9 rental months paid
- 8 mortgages and utilities paid
- 7 more credit cards waived
- 6 telecom bills paid
- 5 more electric bills paid
- 4 family holidays saved
- 3 payday loans paid
- 2 car payments made
- 1 foreclosure saved
"Helping individuals and families meet their immediate financial obligations and enjoy peace of mind over the holidays was the right way to cap off our inaugural year and a tough year for so many Albertans," CEO Paul Kelly said in a news release.
The “inaugural year” is a reference to Connect First representing an amalgamation of Chinook Financial and First Calgary Financial credit unions.
A video of members being informed of the holiday gifts can be viewed here.
CUToday.info also recently profiled American 1 CU in Michigan for surprising people at police traffic stops by giving them gifts instead of tickets, as reported here.