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 July.
Giving Back
Downtown park project gets boost with $100,000 donation from RCU
Business, civic and elected leaders gathered Monday for the formal groundbreaking presentation for the Whelen Ave. Park and pavilion project.The project includes the redevelopment of a parking lot area along the east bank of the Black River in Medford in downtown Medford to include a pavilion and a splash pad. The pavilion will include bathrooms and a serving area and will provide a covered space for the downtown farmer’s market. The project was significantly helped by a $100,000 donation from the RCU Foundation, the charitable arm of Royal Credit Union. (Royal Credit Union, 7/12)
WESTconsin Credit Union school supply drive
(Westconsin Credit Union, 7/19)
WESTconsin donates $25K to Northwood's new Med Lab Tech program
WESTconsin Credit Union has given $25,000 to Northwood Technical College Foundation to support the college’s new Medical Laboratory Technician program that was created in partnership with Westfields Hospital after years of struggling to fill the many vacancies in the field. The $4.75 million project will provide students with lectures, labs and clinical experiences they need help meet the workforce shortages for all hospitals within the St. Croix Valley and beyond. (WESTconsin Credit Union, 7/24)
Creating Community
Concert For a Cause: Leslie Blasing to perform at VFW
The Merrill Area United Way (MAUW) will kick off its annual fall fundraising campaign with Concert For a Cause, featuring Leslie Blasing, on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, at the Northwoods Veterans Post, 601 Johnson St. in Merrill. Doors will open at 5 p.m. for social time and appetizers, and the concert begins at 6 p.m. A cash bar will be available.(Park City Credit Union, 7/12)
Food Truck Friday 2023
Volume One’s Food Truck Friday, a community favorite, is in full swing for the 2023 season! Whether you’re craving ice cream and sweets, fresh-made tacos, gyros, barbecue, pierogis, pizza, cheese curds, or mac and cheese, Food Truck Friday’s got you covered. These photos are from the most recent Food Truck Friday on July 7, but you still have two more dates this year – Aug. 4 and Sept. 8 – to get in on the yummy action. (Royal Credit Union, 7/11)
On Broadway, Inc.: 2023 igNight Market series begins
On Broadway is happy to announce igNight Market, presented by Fox Communities Credit Union, is set to return July 15 from 5-10 p.m. in the Neville Public Museum parking lot. The event features local artisans and makers, original live music, interactive art demonstrations, street performers, activities, food trucks and more. (Fox Communities Credit Union, 7/13)
Thank you community sponsors for Regner Fest
From a great band on Friday night to family activities all day on Saturday, so much fun. Thanks also for our special vendors that supplied activities for the Ninjas on Saturday, West Bend Sunrise Rotary, Good Shepherd Church, Shepherd of the Hills, Orenda Outdoors, Life’s A Party Face Painting, Katelyns Cups and Heidi and Kali Refreshments. (Summit Credit Union, 7/17)
Awarding Scholarships
B-W, Spring Valley students awarded with $1,000 Scholarships from WESTconsin Credit Union
WESTconsin Credit Union, an advocate for education, has recently awarded fourteen $1,000 scholarships to area high school seniors as part of the WESTconsin Scholarship Program. Recipients were selected based on a variety of criteria including community and school involvement, academic progress, financial need, career plans, and goals. (WESTconsin Credit Union, 7/7)
Investing in Communities
UW Credit Union: New branch to open in Oak Creek July 10
UW Credit Union opens its latest full-service branch Monday, July 10 in Oak Creek. The South Milwaukee-area branch is located at 7902 S Main St. in Drexel Town Square. UW Credit Union now operates 11 branches in the Milwaukee area, including Bay View, West Allis, New Berlin, Waukesha and Wauwatosa. A Greenfield location is planned for next spring. (UW Credit Union, 7/6)
Simplicity Credit Union Launching School Branch at Loyal Elementary School
Students at Loyal Elementary will learn important financial education and career skills in a whole new way when Simplicity CU launches their fourth school branch this fall. The Loyal School Branch will be a deposit-only branch for Loyal Middle and Elementary students run by Eighth graders with oversight from Simplicity staff. Branch staff will have the opportunity to fill out a basic job application, experience a job interview, go through job training, and operate the branch each week. Job duties include counting money, record keeping, customer service, and marketing the branch within the school. (Simplicity Credit Union, 7/21)
Connexus Credit Union celebrates the Rib Mountain branch grand opening
Connexus Credit Union commemorated the grand opening of their new, innovative branch in the Town of Rib Mountain the week of July 10, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, guided tours of the building, and a supply drive hosted by Connexus Cares, which benefited three non-profit organizations in the greater Wausau area. (Connexus Credit Union, 7/26)
Fostering Excellence
America's CU Museum Names 6 New 'Herstory' Inductees
America’s Credit Union Museum has announced the 2023 inductees to its exhibit “Credit Union Women Making History: Herstory.” Due to what it described as “overwhelming response and support of the Herstory initiative in 2022,” the museum said it has established an annual recognition program to identify and celebrate outstanding women of the movement. (Summit Credit Union, 7/10)
2023 Recognition Award winners honored at CUNA Finance Council Conference
The credit union movement’s brightest finance stars were recognized during an awards luncheon ceremony during the CUNA Finance Council Conference, May 21-24, in Anaheim California. The Recognition Awards are given annually by CUNA’s Finance Council for outstanding collaboration and leadership. (Heartland Credit Union, 7/6)
Dupaco celebrates 75 years of helping members create 'lives worth loving
When Joe Hearn started working at Dupaco Community Credit Union 37 years ago, he’d never even heard of a credit union. Hearn — now the company’s president and CEO — grew up in Independence, Iowa, where the nonprofit financial institutions were less common, before he moved to Dubuque to join the marketing and management program as a student at Loras College. (Dupaco Community Credit Union, 7/16)
Congratulations to the June ’23 DE class
49 credit union leaders from across the United States, and Malawi were designated as Credit Union Development Educators (CUDEs) after completing the National Credit Union Foundation’s signature Development Education (DE) program in June 2023. (Simplicity Credit Union, Royal Credit Union, 7/30)