icuday

International Credit Union Day

2009 International Credit Union Day Celebration Plans

Find out what other credit unions are planning for ICU Day this year! To submit your own ideas, click here.

CU NAME: Santa Cruz County Employees Credit Union

STATE: CA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We’ll have a credit workshop after work for anyone in the community – they don’t have to be a member of the credit union. Hopefully this will encourage people to open new accounts. We’ll have cookies and refreshments all day, and we’ll hand out balloons and gifts for the kiddies, young and old.

CU NAME: Harp Credit Union, Ltd.

STATE: UK

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Cycle ride

CU NAME: Good Shepherd Parish Credit Union

STATE: Ghana

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are going to have a massive educational campaign in communities 2, 3, and 5 to attract more membership. We’ll have clean-up activities in conjunction with the youth of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Community 2, Tema, Ghana.

CU NAME: Sherwin-Williams ECU

STATE: Illinois

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Both CU offices will post the CUNA posters and have giveaways. We will also have cookies and punch or hotdogs and pop for the members all day long. It is important for members to understand that the CU movement is international and more than just our CU alone!

CU NAME: Ever-Green Credit Union Liberia

STATE: Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Liberia, a country just coming from a 14-year civil crisis, is highly striving to return to its pre-war status. Ever-green Credit Union Liberia (ECUL), being one of the committed and dedicated to service credit unions in Liberia, has decided to engage itself in the forth coming credit union day celebration.

The following activities have been decided upon to be carried out on October 15, 2009 ICU Day:

1. Officially launch CU activities in the Rural areas-Lofa County (Zorzor city and Bolahun city). People in these areas have never held or experienced the activities of a credit union.

2."What makes credit unions different from other financial institutions?" A topic that will be lectured on at the Zorzor Central High School and Bolahun Mission School. Officials, academians, students, market women and farmers as well as transport and labor unions officials and members will attend.

3. Our membership drive will immediately commence.

4. Cleaning-up campaign will be carried out through the streets of the identified cities by members and sympathizers of the union.

CU NAME: Red Canoe Credit Union

STATE: WA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: All of the credit unions in our county will be participating in a joint CU food drive for the local food bank. All CU branches of every credit union will have collection barrels for the food drive, illustrating our cooperative nature for the betterment of our community!

CU NAME: American Partners Federal Credit Union

STATE: NC

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are having hot dogs and desserts and passing out ICU Day giveaways on the 15th. We're also waiving membership fees for our SEGs the entire month!

CU NAME: Wichita Federal Credit Union

STATE: KS

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We're having our annual picnic on October 15th, so we can bring more awareness of ICU Day to our members. Posters and flyers are up for several weeks prior. Our employees wear the ICU Day buttons, plus we provide a button to each of our Board members to wear out in the community on ICU Day. Skittles given away are always a big hit. We have a lot of fun!

CU NAME: Pine Tree Community Credit Union

STATE: ID

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are feeding members and potential members all day - cake, cookies, coffee and punch. Also, we are running a special for the week of ICU Day. We will be holding a drawing as well, to win a $50 VISA gift card. We did this last year and had a great turnout!

CU NAME: Riverdale Credit Union

STATE: AL

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will serve ice cream and soft drinks all day long. Our members will also register for cash door prizes.

CU NAME: BVA FCU

STATE: PA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are having a pig roast. We are also appreciating our members on this day. The event will take place at the credit union and several of our members and SEGs are helping sponsor the event.

CU NAME: GaPac Community FCU

STATE: WA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will have a week long shred, which attracts appreciative non-members into our lobby. Our spring shred week saved the community $3,700 in shredding service charges. Courtesy recyclable shopping bags will be given out. On Friday we will have our traditional HOT CHILI DAY in appreciation of our great membership.

U NAME: Ethicon Credit Union

STATE: GA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Each year we serve hot cider and a variety of cookies. We have several door prizes and a drawing. We’ll give everyone a calendar and pocket planner for the next year and some type of giveaway (key chain, ice scraper, coin save, etc.). We spend time talking to members about our services and provide them with information. Everyone enjoys the day.

CU NAME: Prince George’s Community FCU

STATE: MD

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Our Kids Club will be having a coloring contest and an 8’ giant Halloween bag filled with toys, games and more. We are also holding an essay contest for our Teen Time members. The winning essay will be published in our newsletter and receive $5 worth of iTunes rewards. We will also offer light refreshments in the branches during the week, as well as giveaway trick-or-treat bags.

CU NAME: Santa Cruz County Employees Credit Union

STATE: CA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will be celebrating ICU Day by offering "You're Invited" coupon books to all those opening new accounts. We will also have apples and cheese sticks available all day for members. In the evening we will offer a Free Credit Workshop (by popular demand).

CU NAME: Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union

STATE: WA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will be handing out "Intentionally Left Bank" t-shirts. Check out our 7 Principles Web site to know about our Intentionally Left Bank movement at www.7principles.coop

CU NAME: Mendo Lake

STATE: CA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Member appreciation - a Traveling Pizza maker will visit each branch and provide a delicious made-to-order hot pizza.

CU NAME: Pittsburgh FCU

STATE: PA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: For the past several years we have served our members hot dogs, desserts, coffee and bottled water on both Thursday and Friday. It has been a big hit and our members look forward to this event. We invite our members to join us via our newsletter and place notices in our lobby.

CU NAME: Great River Community Credit Union

STATE: IL

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Our directors and employees will serve hot dogs, cookies and soda to members on Thursday and Friday. We purchase a new gas grill each year and give it away as a prize. We also have other door prizes - VISA gift cards and CU logo shirts.

CU NAME: Grand Rapids Family CU

STATE: MI

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will be celebrating all week. We offer coffee, apple cider, donuts, candy and freshly popped popcorn. Our members always enjoy and look forward to Credit Union Week.

CU NAME: Heritage Federal Credit Union

STATE: IN

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will be hosting our member event on Friday, the 16th. We will have radio remotes from three of our branch locations along with providing our members with pre-packaged food from different locations around the world (still searching as to which foods). We will also be handing out jar openers to our membership while supplies last.

CU NAME: The Wright Credit Union

STATE: GA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We celebrate the whole week. We have a drawing for 10 Coin Proof Set (18-coin). Members can register any time during ICU week. On ICU Day we give them a goody bag. Since most of our members are on the go, we fix a snack sac with a drink and small gift.

CU NAME: Valley Oak Credit Union

STATE: CA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will be giving out a bag of goodies, which will have candy, Valley Oak marketing materials (pens, note pads, etc.). We will also have a personal message of thanks to our members from every frontline staff at their stations. We will be opening the doors for our members as they enter and exit our branches. We will also be celebrating our members by washing their vehicle windshields while they are in the branch transacting. Members love the special attention they receive on that day.

CU NAME: Northland Educators Federal Credit Union

STATE: ND

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are wrapping up a major renovation of our lobby. We will be having a "Grand Reopening" celebration the entire week of ICU Day with a ribbon cutting ceremony, chili feed, shredding day and giveaways for grown-ups and kids.

CU NAME: City Of Memphis Credit Union

STATE: TN

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Free membership to all who join on ICU Day ($5 put into their account compliments of COMCU). We have 6 branches and at each branch we'll have a festive table set up with cake and punch that we'll serve all of our members on ICU Day.

CU NAME: Bell West Community Credit Union

STATE: IL

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will have refreshments in our Oak Lawn lobby on Wednesday, October 14th and our Westchester lobby on Thursday, the 15th.

CU NAME: Chemcel Federal Credit Union

STATE: TX

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Employees will dress in attire native to countries around the world. Dishes from their respective countries will be brought in and refreshments will be served to all of our members.

CU NAME: PACE Credit Union

STATE: Canada

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: PACE Credit Union will be offering refreshments and some type of dessert for our members for the day. Each member will receive our PACE “eco-friendly” bag. It went really well last year!

CU NAME: Bell West Community Credit Union

STATE: IL

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will be handing out Skittles, ICU Day buttons and will provide refreshments to our members.

CU NAME: Redwood Credit Union

STATE: CA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: RCU is excited to celebrate the credit union difference during ICU Week and always! Our ICU Week initiative includes:

• In-branch ICU week displays complete with ICU Week educational material (including a green banking practices handout), giveaways (eco-friendly pens), coloring contest, adult raffle, balloons and cookies (during ICU Day)
• FREE financial educational seminars and workshops for kids and adults, including our Financial First Aid Workshop being held on ICU Day
• Print, online and in-branch marketing elements promoting ICU Week
• Employee ICU Week trivia contest and raffle
• Supporting the Wine Country Chapter of Credit Unions in running a print ad in local publications promoting the credit union difference during ICU Week

CU NAME: Educational Credit Union

STATE: KS

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: “If Education Credit Union gave you $20 to Pay it Forward, what would you do?”

During Credit Union Week, October 13-16, Educational Credit Union will host four opportunities for the community to “pay it forward,” with the potential to win additional money to benefit themselves and their charity of choice.

The credit union will provide $20 to the first 25 people who come in to specific branch locations and make a very brief video about how they plan to use the money to pay it forward. These participants will e-mail a follow-up of what they actually did with the money and how well it was received. The videos will be uploaded to the credit union’s YouTube page, and the public can go online to vote for their choice. The video participants with the most comments by November 2 will receive $500 and an additional $500 will be given to the charity or beneficiary of their choice.

“This year’s theme for International Credit Union Week is ‘Your Money, Your Choice, Your Credit Union,’ and this campaign to Pay it Forward just seemed like the perfect fit for us as a member-owned financial institution,” said Greg Winkler, President/CEO. “Educational Credit Union has always had a strong commitment to organizations in our local community, and this is just another example of that dedication.”

CU NAME: Credit Union 1

STATE: AK

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Credit Union 1 is celebrating with a “birthday party” theme. We’re decorating our branches with balloons and giving cookies/gifts to our members. We’ve also planned special candy treats for our employees on that ady to help everyone enjoy the CU spirit!

CU NAME: Lynrocten Federal Credit Union

STATE: VA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are having a local popular hot dog vendor come to the credit union parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to serve free hot dogs, barbecue, chips and drinks to all of our members. We are also having fresh fruit and dessert in the office. To start off ICU Day, we started a savings and membership contest to run through December ‘09 with giveaways.

CU NAME: Fremont Federal Credit Union

STATE: OH

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will be conducting a canned food drive all week to benefit our local food pantries. On our plasmas we’ll highlight our involvement in the community. Then on October 15th, we’ll have a Shred for Safety day as well as cookies & punch at all the offices. It should be a great week!

CU NAME: Community Plus Federal Credit Union

STATE: IL

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are planning an open house for ICU Day. We will have cookies and refreshments for our members and their guests. We are also displaying flashback photos of when our credit union started and how we have evolved over the years. We thought it would be interesting to our current membership to take a walk down memory lane, especially since we still have members who have been with us since we opened our doors. We will also be displaying the Proclamation that announced when International Credit Union Day was to be observed every year.

CU NAME: Xceed Financial Credit Union

STATE: CA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We’ve planned a fun week-long celebration, October 13-17. By October 8, all Financial Centers will receive special fortune cookies with credit union trivia messages to share with each members, and ICU Day balloons to create a more festive atmosphere all week. “On-hold” messages announcing this special week-long celebration will play all week starting October 13. All Financial Centers are encouraged to stock up on coffee and cookies/pastries. Partnerships with a local bakery or a coffee shop are also encouraged. We are urging all of our Financial Centers to invite all local businesses to stop in and celebrate with us.

ICU Day statement stuffers were sent to each Xceed member with the September-end statements. We also sent a SEG postcard to our Select Employer Groups, inviting them to join in and celebrate with all members and associates.

For our associates we have planned a trivia day on October 15, when five credit union industry-related questions will be sent. The five people who answer the questions right will receive a $25 VISA gift card. Each associate will also receive an email from our internal fun squad called “Team Xceed” to note ICU Day and remind each associate how significant his/her role is in our efforts to help members achieve their financial futures.

CU NAME: CU Community Credit Union

STATE: MO

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are inviting our kids club members to decorate pumpkins with our club mascot, Cuckoo bird (“CUCCU” is our acronym). We will also be serving fall refreshments in our lobby and handing out candy in our drive-thru. We’re going to have our 2010 calendars, reusable grocery bags and plastic cups available to members that stop in.

CU NAME: Works Credit Union

STATE: MA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: During Credit Union week Works Credit Union is having a health fair where members will receive free blood, sugar, cholesterol tests and eye examinations. They will also receive a free snack, drink and a surprise token. Works Credit Union encourages members to live healthy lives by eating right and maintaining a healthy diet. Works Credit Union is not only concerned about members’ financial needs, but also in assisting members to develop a healthy lifestyle balance.

CU NAME: Winthrop Federal Credit Union

STATE: MA

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are announcing our first official charity. It will be the Massachusetts Commission on Homelessness. This will be in support of the Massachusetts CU League’s efforts on their behalf along with 61 other Massachusetts credit unions. We will be selling candy bars and distributing info on the Commission’s work.

CU NAME: Poplar Bluff Federal Credit Union

STATE: MO

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will decorate with international flags we purchased from Oriental Trading Company a few years ago. They are attached to our octagonal atrium in the lobby along with International Credit Union signs. In the past we have set up international coffee and food for our members, along with freebies. We also have the coloring sheets for the kids and attach them around the lobby. However, for the third year, we have “Member Appreciation Day” to top off ICU Day (week)! It is held Saturday afternoon after closing. We have a love remote broadcast from one of our radio sponsors, free hot dogs, soft drinks, popcorn candy and gifts with “We Appreciate our Members” engraved on all of them.

We also have VIP Security, a shredding company, set up in the parking lot to promote the prevention of identity theft and invite the entire are to participate in this event.

We have several local groups participate: Poplar Bluff Fire Dept brings their “smoke house” to teach children how to escape from a burning building; the Butler County Sheriff’s Dept offers parents the opportunity to have their children fingerprinted; the Missouri Highway Patrol brings their rollover simulator to demonstrate the importance of seat belts; the US Army will bring either their rock wall or ID tag maker; the Boys & Girls Club will do face painting; Tooter the clown will be making balloon animals and many more! We will give tours of the facility for those who have never been inside and even open new accounts if necessary.

We advertise this event in both the newspaper and on the radio. If you have questions or comments, you may contact me at diane@pbfcu.org.

CU NAME: Middle Tennessee Federal Credit union

STATE: TN

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are celebrating our 40th anniversary of serving our members. We will serve burgers and hot dogs for lunch on Thursday, Oct 15. We’ll have daily drawings Tuesday-Thursday, with a grand prize drawing on Friday.

CU NAME: Badger Globe Credit Union

STATE: WI

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are a closed-membership credit union to Kimberly Clark employees and families. On International Credit Union Day we are going to take cookies from our local bakery to all the KC employees in our area. We’ll also cover the costs of all the vending machine drinks for the day.

We are doing a food drive in our lobby on the 15th. We’ll serve cookies and sub sandwiches to our members and give away new calendars. We’ll have a drawing for 10 $10 gift certificates to local gas stations and grocery stores.

For the children we’ll hand out coloring sheets and when they turn them in colored, we’ll give them a Dairy Queen token for a Dilly Bar. New member accounts for the week will receive $10.

CU NAME: Marshall Community Credit Union

STATE: MI

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We combine our ICU Day celebration with a Member Appreciation Day. We’ll celebrate on Friday, October 16th, and serve lunch from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. to anyone that stops in. We are going to grill hot dogs and serve chips, cookies and lemonade. We’ll have drawings for giveaways and distribute logo items.

The grills, tables, etc. are manned by our staff, so it gives them a chance to visit with the members and let them know that we appreciate them!

CU NAME: Oteen V.A. FCU

STATE: NC

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We will serve cookies and drinks all day. We’ll give our ICU Day promotional items. Everyone can sign up to win a $75 VISA gift card. For anyone who joins that day, we will waive the $1.00 membership fee and give them two movie tickets.

CU NAME: Wisconsin Credit Union League

STATE: WI

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: The Wisconsin Credit Union League will celebrate the value of credit unions in Wisconsin, the U.S. and the world as part of a reception being held at the Credit Union House, in Madison, WI, directly across from our state capitol. The event will involve participation by legislators, media, system partners and guests, and is set for Wednesday Oct. 14 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. RSVP required to Karen Raether at kraether@theleague.coop or 800-242-0833, ext. 6021.

CU NAME: John Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church FCU

STATE: DC

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We had a luncheon after the Sunday morning service, with a speaker from the Maryland/DC Credit Union Association. We asked him to speak on the importance of a church credit union. We ordered promotional products to give our members. We had lots of take-home information about credit unions.

CU NAME: Addis Ababa Saving & Credit Cooperative Union

STATE: Ethiopia

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Organize a meeting consisting of more than 1,000 SACCO delegates at a national city.

CU NAME: PAHO/WHO Federal Credit Union

STATE: DC

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: We are having an open house during our hours of operation. Aside from refreshments, we have a computer set up so members can enroll in eStatements while they are here. We are also doing various prize drawings throughout the day – one is $60 VISA gift cards promoting our 60th Anniversary! Happy ICU Day!

CU NAME: Kent Credit Union

STATE: OH

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: In the true spirit of credit unions, this year we decided ot give back by having a dress-down day and donating $5 for breast cancer research (October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and cancer has touched the lives of many of our staff members). Also, the entire month of October we are selling candy bars in all of our branches. The proceeds of our dress-down day and candy bar sales will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

CU NAME: JSC Federal Credit Union

STATE: TX

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: JSC FCU celebrates International Credit Union Week with activities every day in all 15 branches throughout the Houston Bay Area. The activities include book fairs, pumpkin decorating contest for the kids, Sam’s Club selling discount memberships, a massage therapist, identity theft awareness, shred day, Understanding Credit evening seminar (110+ members attended), and of course, lots of food – hot dogs, popcorn, cookies, sodas and much more. All of our members look forward to this week each year.

CU NAME: JM Associates Federal Credit Union

STATE: FL

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Because we know our members do have a choice where they receive financial services, we want to make sure that we say “thank you” to each and every member. Even though I know we say thank you every day anyway, on October 15th, please make an attempt to shake hands with, and personally thank as many members as you can. After you serve a member, you could say “May I shake your hand? We appreciate you choosing JMAFCU for your financial services. Thank you for being a member.” If you speak with a member on the telephone, at the end of your call please say “Thank you for being a JMAFCU member.” This small step will help remind the members of why they chose to do business with us, because we care, and together we’re better.

CU NAME: Cutting Edge Federal Credit Union

STATE: OR

ACTIVITIES PLANNED: Cutting Edge FCU is celebrating this day with seasonal goodies in our lobby: hot and cold apple cider, pumpkin donuts, Halloween candy bars and fresh, crisp apples. We’re having a “Grab bag” giveaway – members who stop by today fill out a ticket. At the end of the day, we’ll draw 15 winners who get to come back and pick a surprise grab bag. Each bag is a logoed Koozie lunch sack filled with credit union logo items and a gift card from local establishments. Finally, during the month of October, we’ve been distributing our own $25 Brady Bucks (Brady Howe is our President/CEO). New members who bring in one of our Brady Bucks receive $25 to open their account!

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