Credit Unions…This is Your Season to Celebrate!
The leaves may be turning gorgeous shades of orange and gold, the sunsets may shine more beautifully as the days grow shorter and the tradition of displaying twinkling lights may be right around the corner. But there’s something that shines even brighter than all of these things…the power of credit unions. And, as luck would have it, this is our season to celebrate all the things our movement stands for with International Credit Union Day and CU Kind Day!
International Credit Union Day
The big day is October 17, 2024! On this day, credit unions around the world celebrate International Credit Union (ICU) Day, an annual event to commemorate the credit union movement’s impact and achievements. It’s been an annual tradition recognized on the third Thursday of October since 1948, which makes this year the 76th anniversary of ICU Day.
The theme is “One World Through Cooperative Finance.” It speaks to how credit unions and other community-based financial cooperatives are still bringing people together in these divided times to grow financial inclusion and well-being for all. With this in mind, credit unions are invited to embrace the uniqueness of our business model, our principles and our ability to unify our communities through accessible and affordable financial resources.
And what makes us unique, exactly? It’s our position as not-for-profit, democratically controlled, member-owned cooperatives. Credit unions pool their members’ assets to provide low-cost loans and other financial services in the best interest of the members. The credit union movement’s cooperative spirit is embraced by 403 million members served by more than 82,000 credit unions in 98 countries worldwide.
This ICU Day, let’s shine a light on the lives and communities that have been improved by our movement. After all, the credit union difference is alive and well in the dreams that become reality for those we serve each and every day.
For more information on ICU Day 2024 – including how you can educate your communities, find ways to participate and ramp up your celebrations – please visit the World Council of Credit Unions website.
CU Kind Day
Kindness…it’s such a simple and effortless gift to give to others. That’s what CU Kind Day is all about – using our resources as credit unions to promote kindness in the world.
On October 14, 2024, Vizo Financial will be joining the likes of many other credit unions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to participate in the CrossState Credit Union Association’s observation of CU Kind Day. The idea for this day – where credit unions are invited to volunteer their time, make donations or even provide financial education – started at a credit union in Minnesota and has continued to expand to leagues across the country.
As a corporate, Vizo Financial will be holding our annual Day of Service on October 14, which just so happens to coincide with CU Kind Day. However, we are so excited to embrace this celebration and show that credit unions are truly devoted to our philosophy of “people helping people.”
If your institution is interested in joining CrossState’s CU Kind Day celebration on October 14, I encourage you to visit their CU Kind Day page. Here, you will find registration information and plenty of resources to help you get the word out to your communities, including the CU Kind logo, project ideas, a sample press release and social media materials. The site also has plenty of ideas for your CU Kind Day festivities!
Whether you decide to help out at a food bank, hold a fundraiser to give money to your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital or host a financial literacy event, the ultimate goal is to spread awareness of the positive impact the credit union movement has on our communities through simple acts of kindness. I can’t wait to see your celebrations come to light!
Let the Celebrations Begin!
Credit unions, this is OUR time to shine – our season to show our true purpose in action. By sharing our concern for community and our inclusive, democratic nature, we can be a light of hope in this world. May your ICU Day and CU Kind Day celebrations be bright…now, let the merriment begin!
As the VP of sales, marketing and education for Vizo Financial, Jaime Agostino oversees marketing, sales and educational offerings for the Corporate. Ms. Agostino holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the Pennsylvania State University. She currently holds her Series 7 (Registered General Securities Representative) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination) investment licenses from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and has also achieved the following professional designations: Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM), Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE), SIE - Securities Industry Essentials Examination, Inbound Marketing Certified and Content Marketing Certified.