Whether it's giving back, awarding scholarships, creating community, providing innovative solutions, or fostering financial literacy (and so much more), here's how Wisconsin's credit unions supported their members and communities in October.
Giving Back
Altra to hold 6th annual Altra Gives Back Day
Altra Federal Credit Union will hold its sixth annual Altra Gives Back Day on Monday, October 9th, 2023. All Altra offices and the member contact center will be closed as employees volunteer to support organizations in the communities they serve. Over 450 employees nationwide will participate in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, and New Jersey. Employees choose from nearly 50 organizations to volunteer at ranging from those that support environmental resources, food insecurity and homelessness to animal welfare, senior citizens, and financial literacy. (Altra Federal Credit Union, 10/4)
WESTconsin celebrating National Co-op Month
This year’s ICU Day® on Thursday, Oct. 19, marks 75 years of celebration for the global impact credit unions have every day. WESTconsin has many activities planned to celebrate the cooperative spirit in the credit union’s roots and give back to local communities. Now through the end of October, World’s Finest Chocolate® bars will be available for purchase in all WESTconsin offices for $1 each. Proceeds will help local kids when they need it the most through the efforts of the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Last year, WESTconsin employees, members, and community partners raised over $3,300. (WESTconsin Credit Union, 10/9)
Royal Credit Union closes offices for Community Giveback Day
Royal Credit Union offices will be closed on October 9, but team members are not taking the day off. Instead, Royal’s 850 team members will be living the organization’s core values and making a difference during the 3rd Community Give Back Day event. In all, the team will complete over 80 projects and dedicate 5,000 hours of volunteer service across twenty different communities in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Non-profit organizations in the Chippewa Valley, St. Croix Valley, Twin Cities, and other communities served by Royal will benefit from this day of service. (Royal Credit Union, 10/8)
Community outreach marks Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Leagues and credit unions are hosting days of service and community outreach in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Oct. 9, 2023. The Wisconsin Credit Union League has created CU Community Day to join neighboring state leagues who already host and promote a combined day of service for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. (The League, 10/9)
Royal Credit Union Celebrates Community Giveback Day
(Royal Credit Union, 10/9)
Altra Credit Union's "Altra Gives Back Day" prepares Clearwater Farm for winter
Altra Credit Union's commitment to community service and giving back took center stage as employees joined forces for a day of volunteer work at Clearwater Farm. The event, dubbed "Altra Gives Back Day," saw Altra employees dedicating their time and efforts to clean up and prepare the farm for the upcoming winter season. Clearwater Farm is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization that preserves parts of a 19th century Onalaska dairy farm for education, recreation and history. (Altra Federal Credit Union, 10/9)
Dupaco shares more than $3.3M with participating members
early 74,000 participating Dupaco Community Credit Union member-owners received a share of more than $3.3 million in Thank Use Ownership Perks for 2023. The special payout to participating members happened earlier today, Oct. 19, which coincides with International Credit Union Day. The dividend is part of the credit union’s nine-month program called Thank Use. The timeframe to earn Thank Use was Jan. 1 through Sept. 30. (Dupaco Community Credit Union, 10/24)
Warm Up w/ Marine Credit Union Foundation
We are excited to announce that we are launching our inaugural Warm Up with Marine event. The Marine Credit Union Foundation is partnering with The Salvation Army and the Rooftop Foundation to support our communities through a winter supply drive! All donations will go directly to families in need. With your help, we can ensure everyone is warm this winter! (Marine Credit Union, 10/25)
Royal Credit Union kicks off Giving Never Melts Away annual toy drive on November 1
Royal Credit Union (Royal) and The Salvation Army have partnered again to present Giving Never Melts Away, Royal’s annual toy drive. New and unwrapped toys for children of all ages are being accepted at all Royal Credit Union locations during regular business hours from November 1- 30. Monetary donations are also accepted in the offices and online at rcu.org/ToyDrive. (Royal Credit Union, 10/31)
CU Community Day highlights outreach
More than 30 Wisconsin credit unions participated in the first-ever CU Community Day on Indigenous Peoples' Day (Oct. 9), a community outreach event showcasing the ways credit unions give back to their communities throughout the year. The event was held in conjunction with several other league community outreach days across the country. It highlights the sixth and seventh Cooperative Principles of Cooperation Among Cooperatives and Concern for Community. (The League, 10/30)
We helped Feeding America repackage 2 tons of corn. Stock the Shelves drive offers even more ways to help
As it turns out, the hardest part of volunteering at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin last week was counting to 12. Forty-five volunteers on Friday, Oct. 20, spent the morning repackaging about 4,500 pounds of frozen corn on the cob chunks, from bulk boxes down to 12-piece bags. (Greater Fox Cities Chapter of Credit Unions, 10/31)
Creating Community
Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center announces 2023-24 Performing Arts Series lineup
The Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center is looking forward to a new season of music, theatre and more. The PAC announced 13 shows Friday, including the world's most unique two-person circus show. (PCM Credit Union, 10/6)
N.E.W. Credit Union celebrates International Credit Union Day
NEW Credit Union will join over 56,000 credit unions around the world to celebrate International Credit Union (ICU) Day. This year marks the 75th anniversary of International Credit Union Day. ICU Day highlights the many ways that credit unions across the world help members work towards achieving their financial goals. NEW Credit Union will celebrate all week long from Oct. 16-20. (N.E.W. Credit Union, 10/5)
Hispanic Heritage Festival on Oct. 7 at Case High School celebrates culture and community
A festival celebrating Hispanic culture and heritage is set for Oct. 7 at Case High School, 7345 Washington Ave. This first event of its kind is led by students who are a part of the school’s Latino Student Union (LSU) along with the group’s advisors, René Guzmán and Milka Arjon. Planning for this exciting event started officially in May of last year, and in July, the LSU Leadership committee began meeting weekly to ensure that the upcoming festival would be everything that the Racine community needs. (Educators Credit Union, 10/6)
Marshfield Credit Union to Host Trick-or-Treating Open to Public
Attention, families! Marshfield Medical Center Credit Union (MMCCU) is hosting a Trick-or-Treating event that is open to everyone. Stop by MMCCU on Tuesday, October 31 to participate. (Marshfield Medical Center Credit Union, 10/12)
Wisconsin Weekend in a Minute: Flannel Fest, Admirals Home Opener, Disney's Aladdin, Frank Caliendo
Halloween is almost upon us! Here are some spooky (and not so spooky) ways to get out and celebrate the fall season, Oct. 20-22, 2023. ( Educators Credit Union, 10/19)
Investing in Communities
De Pere Branch Of CoVantage Credit Union Opens New De Pere Facility
Following a half year of construction CoVantage Credit Union is opening their new De Pere location — a three-story, 24,000 square-foot building — at 1225 Lawrence Drive. “This property will be a full-service retail branch location for members to receive deposit services, consumer loans, mortgage lending, commercial lending and CoVantage Retirement and Investment Services,” a release from CoVantage stated. (CoVantage Credit Union, 10/19)
Fostering Excellence
13 More Credit Unions Join the FedNow Network
Thirteen more credit unions are live on FedNow – the Federal Reserve’s instant payment service – joining the 13 credit unions and corporates that were announced as early adopters of the service ahead of its July 2023 launch. (Royal Credit Union, 10/4)
David O’Connor to moderate panel on the importance of storytelling at the 365 Leadership Summit
David O’Connnor, the state Department of Public Instruction’s American Indian Studies Consultant, will moderate a panel titled “Storytelling: How people of color continue to own their story through various art mediums” on November 6 at the 365 Leadership Summit presented by UW Credit Union. (UW Credit Union, 10/9)
Interview: Junior Achievement to hold Hero Gala
A local CEO and company will be honored at the Junior Achievement Hero Gala November 15 in Eau Claire for helping JA continue its work through the Covid-19 pandemic. Junior Achievement is proud to announce that Scott Hoffmann from WIN Technologies and the Perigon services team will be honored at the 8th Annual JA Hero Gala on November 15, 2023. Hoffman and his team are recognized for their work that allowed Junior Achievement to continue teaching students about financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Royal Credit Union, Co-op Credit Union, WESTconsin Credit Union, 11/1)
Supporting Financial Literacy
It’s 50 Days to Black Friday, financial experts recommend budgeting now
Even though fall just started, it’s already time to start thinking about holiday shopping. We’re just 50 days away from Black Friday. Last year, stores saw a record-breaking amount of shoppers as more than 72 million people shopped in-store to find the perfect gifts. With some of the year’s biggest sales, Black Friday is when many of us get the bulk of our holiday gifts. Park City Credit Union Merrill Branch Manager Danielle Wilcenski said now is the time to start financial planning. “The more you can plan ahead the better,” said Danielle Wilcenski, Park City Credit Union Merrill branch manager. (Park City Credit Union, 10/5)
Educators Credit Union Announces Partnership with Local National Basketball Association Champion Bobby Portis to Provide Free Financial Educational Tools
Educators Credit Union has announced a partnership with local professional basketball player and NBA champion, Bobby Portis. Portis and Educators have partnered to provide free financial educational tools, programs and community support for residents of southeastern Wisconsin. Educators offers a digital academy, scholarships for students, webinars and workshops, financial tools, calculators, and a variety of educational resources all designed to help the local community learn more about their finances and how to reach their financial goals. (Educators Credit Union, 10/13)
Selecting the right Medicare coverage with Medicare Jeff
With Medicare open enrollment underway, how do you select the best plan for you? In this segment, Jeff Balistriere (also known as Medicare Jeff) from United Advantage Group and Kyle Bryntesen from Shoreline Credit Union discuss how to select the best plan for you and how education matters with Medicare. (Shoreline Credit Union, 10/20)
Holmen High School 'Reality Store' teaches students life skills
ife comes at us in unexpected ways. To help prepare students, Holmen High School is teaching life lessons in a unique way with the 'Holmen Reality Store.' On Thursday, senior students stepped into the gymnasium to experience a simulation curated to each of them individually. They walked through each station solving tasks and managing financial situations. Many students said they learned basic skills like writing a check and paying bills. But they add they were surprised by just how expensive everything is. (Altra Federal Credit Union, 10/19)