With August temperatures in the 80s and 90s, it might be difficult to imagine that October’s CU Community Days is right around the corner! CU Community Days is a week-long event kicking off each year on Indigenous’ Peoples Day that showcases how Wisconsin’s credit unions serve their communities throughout the year and embody their cooperative principles including Cooperation Among Cooperatives and Concern for Community.
In 2025, CU Community Days will coincide with International Credit Union Day and our year-long celebration of United Nations’ International Year of Cooperatives. Several other state leagues also host community outreach events during October, making this a great opportunity to increase visibility of The Credit Union Difference nationwide.
During CU Community Days, credit unions across the state are encouraged to address food insecurity in their communities or give back in other ways that matter to them. You might be wondering why we are encouraging Wisconsin credit unions to consider addressing food insecurity. The League in currently in the midst of a multi-year strategy, with the help of our credit unions, to aid reducing food insecurity in Wisconsin – and the need has become even greater. Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting the hunger crisis in Wisconsin as well as some resources for getting involved.
According to Feeding America, one in eight Wisconsinites face hunger, and that number grows to one in six when only children are considered. Unfortunately, programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) does not fully support those that are facing hunger, and recent changes to the SNAP program means that an additional 90,000 Wisconsinites are at risk of losing their benefits, according to Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services.
Food Insecurity affects all people. The UW-Madison Wisconsin Food Security Project notes that while hunger may more commonly affect households that are poor or low income, households with a disabled member, households with children, households headed by a single parent, households with lower education levels, and black and Hispanic households, hunger still strikes everyone – children, working-age adults, and the elderly; people without high school diplomas as well as those with college degrees; citizens and noncitizens; people of all racial and ethnic groups; people facing recent job loss; and those affected by disaster.
Our ask for your credit union is to consider joining us by planning community service activities during the week of October 13-17, 2025 and by taking the pledge today! By pledging your commitment to CU Community Days, The League can help to elevate your efforts, track our collective impact, and show the true meaning of People Helping People!