The Member Story Project

The Member Story Project celebrates the powerful, personal moments between credit unions and the people they serve. Through heartfelt stories of real-life impact, this initiative highlights the moments when credit unions made a meaningful difference. Whether they offered support during a crisis, helped a dream come true, or simply showed up when it mattered most, these stories speak volumes.

They reflect the essence of the credit union movement: real people helping real people. We hope they inspire you as much as they inspire us.

Do you have a story to share? We’d love to hear it. Submit your story here and be featured on CreditUnions.com.

The Member Story Project is sponsored by Callahan & Associates

Thoughtful Questions Saved A Member $40,000

A member visited the branch requesting help initiating a wire transfer. When Marina sat down with him, she began by asking about the purpose of the transfer. He shared that the money was intended to help his granddaughter with her education. Marina noticed he had recently consolidated his savings into one account and was attempting […]

The Power Of Community Support

RVA Financial Federal Credit Union

RVA Financial Federal Credit Union has proudly granted $4.1 million in mortgages, enabling residents of the City of Richmond to achieve their dreams of homeownership. We have a truly inspiring success story featuring one of our members who re-entered society after being in the corrections system. Through our credit coaching, he increased his credit score […]

From Heartbreak To Hope, 1 Step At A Time

After his wife passed on, a member came in just as lost as he could be. In their 60 years of marriage, she’d always handled the finances, and he didn’t even know where to start. He’d gathered up what he could —including her death certificate — but you could see plain as day he was […]

A Switch To Save Success Empowers Multiple Members

About a year ago, Cherie worked with a non‑member who wanted to refinance an auto loan from Santander with a monthly payment of $603. At the time, his credit score was low, and although he was approved, the interest rate came in at 15%. Rather than stopping there, Cherie took time to have a meaningful […]

A 3-Hour Turnaround Changed A Family’s Vacation

Wings Financial Credit Union

Some moments remind us how far a team will go to support a member’s wellbeing. A member urgently needed financing for an accessible vehicle large enough for his two grandchildren, both of whom use wheelchairs. His current vehicle was unsafe, and the family was leaving for a long-planned vacation in two days. He needed a […]

One Interaction Changes Worry To Trust

Our team member Maddy recently assisted a 75-year-old member who contacted Patelco with concerns about a potentially compromised card linked to Apple Pay. The member was confused and worried, as she still had the physical card in her possession and did not understand how fraud could occur. Maddy took the time to patiently explain how […]

Personnel Promotions

CRIF Select Welcomes Julie Nielsen as SVP of Account Management to Accelerate Client Growth and Enterprise Value

CRIF Select has appointed Julie Nielsen as Senior Vice President of Account Management to drive client growth and enterprise value ...
Legal/Regulatory

Bipartisan AFFORD Act Will Strengthen CDFI Fund

The bipartisan Advancing Financial Opportunities through Revitalizing and Developing CDFIs (AFFORD) Act was introduced this week by Senators Steve Daines ...
Industry Analysis & Trends

Baker Market Update – Week in Review: February 27, 2026

Released every Friday, BMU is a brief and informative newsletter that provides financial institutions a review of the week’s economic ...
Making A Difference

SECU and SECU Foundation Receive Disaster Response Champions Award for Helene Relief Efforts

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) and SECU Foundation recently received the inaugural Disaster Response Champions Award from Carolinas Credit Union ...
New Product Releases

St. Cloud Financial Credit Union Launches CU-Digital Asset Vault™ — Positioning the Credit Union as the most Valuable Wallet for Member Digital Wealth

St. Cloud Financial Credit Union (SCFCU) announced the live launch of the CU-Digital Asset Vault™, the first credit union-built digital ...
Marketing

Appli CEO Tim Pranger to Showcase Real-Time Property Value Calculator at CUNA GAC 2026

Appli, the creator of the industry’s first AI-powered smart financial calculator, today announced that Founder and CEO Tim Pranger will ...
Other

Newsweek names Redwood Credit Union one of the Greatest Midsize Workplaces for Women

Newsweek has awarded Redwood Credit Union its highest five-star rating as one of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces for Women, an ...
Strategic Partnerships

Ocean State Credit Union Selects Synergent for Core Processing and Integrated Services

WESTBROOK, ME (February 26, 2026) – Synergent® has entered into a ten-year hosted Jack Henry™ Symitar® core processing agreement with ...
New Product Releases

eDOC Innovations Announces Product Enhancements

eDOC announces product updates and enhancements including new integration capabilities with its e-Sign solution, eDOCSignature, optimization of iDOCVault document management ...
Other

Vizo Financial’s March 2026 Education Calendar

At Vizo Financial we are committed to providing quality education to credit unions and their staff, which is why we ...
Other

Meriwest Credit Union Wins Top Honor as Best Credit Union in Silicon Valley 2026

We’re excited to share that Meriwest has been voted as the Best Credit Union in Silicon Valley in 2026 by ...
Lending

Origence Ends 2025 with 17% Growth in Fundings; Expands AI-Driven Lending Technology

Origence, the leading lending technology solutions provider for credit unions, closed 2025 with $62 billion in total fundings, up 17% ...
Operations & HR

Xpress Data Inc. hires Kirk Drake as new President

Xpress Data Inc. hires Kirk Drake as new President. Drake brings decades of experience in credit unions and technology strategy ...
Other

Catherine Bryant and Jonah Kaufman of Coastal Wealth Management Recognized as Distinguished Financial Professionals by LPL Financial

Catherine Bryant and Jonah Kaufman, Wealth Advisors at Coastal Wealth Management in Raleigh, have earned a place among LPL Financials’ ...

Credit Unions Gain Edge with New CashBack+ Credit Card Rewards

New York, NY – February 25, 2025 – Prizeout, the leader in advertising and financial technology, today announced the launch ...
Making A Difference

ICUL Launches “Credit Unions in Action” to Showcase Statewide Community Impact

The Illinois Credit Union League has opened our inaugural Credit Unions in Action (CUIA) data collection initiative, and we’re excited ...
Strategic Partnerships

Apple Federal Credit Union Partners with Quavo to Modernize Dispute Operations and Elevate Member Experience

Quavo, Inc. (“Quavo”), the proven AI disputes technology partner and leading strategic advisor for financial institutions, has announced a new ...
Technology

Wings Credit Union Signs with Corelation, Selecting KeyStone to Elevate Its Future

Wings Credit Union has signed with Corelation, confirming their decision to select the KeyStone core to power what is a ...
Lending

FI Connect Expands with Home Improvement Lending Channel, Helping Credit Unions Access New Home Renovation Loan Opportunities

Origence, the leading credit union lending technology company in the U.S., announced that its subsidiary, FI Connect, has expanded its ...
Other

Callahan & Gallup Welcome Two Credit Unions To The Member Engagement And Financial Wellbeing Consortium

Callahan & Associates, a recognized leader in performance measurement, leadership development, strategic advisory and community development for credit unions, and Gallup, a global analytics and ...
Operations & HR

QuantyPhi Welcomes Max Bade as ALM & CECL Analyst

QuantyPhi, a wholly owned CUSO of Corporate Central, is pleased to welcome Max Bade as ALM & CECL Analyst as ...
Charity Events

LAFCU, Quality Dairy partner for third annual Paczki Palooza to benefit local charities

LANSING, Mich. — LAFCU partnered with Quality Dairy for the third consecutive year as co-sponsor of Pączki Palooza, the popular ...
Making A Difference

EECU Celebrates Fresno Unified Excellence in Education Honorees

FRESNO, Calif. (Feb. 20, 2026) – Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) proudly sponsored the Fresno Unified School District’s annual Excellence ...
Other

Coastal Credit Union Headquarters Renovation Earns Multiple Honors

Coastal Credit Union’s headquarters renovation has earned top recognition from both the Triangle Business Journal and the Carolinas AGC, underscoring ...
Strategic Partnerships

Woodford State Bank Selects Square 1 Credit Suite by Suntell

Woodford State Bank Selects Square 1 Credit Suite by Suntell February 23, 2026 — Suntell, a leading provider of loan ...
Marketing

Suntell Marks 30 Years Advancing Commercial and Agricultural Lending Technology for Community Financial Institutions

Suntell Marks 30 Years Advancing Commercial and Agricultural Lending Technology for Community Financial Institutions Suntell is celebrating its 30th anniversary, ...
Technology

Peninsula Community Credit Union Selects Alogent’s FASTdocs to Modernize Enterprise Content Management

Peninsula Community Credit Union has selected FASTdocs, Alogent’s enterprise content management (ECM) platform, to modernize its document management environment. Delivered ...
Other

National Association of Latino Credit Union Professionals Honors SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union President Jose Lara with Legacy Leader Award

Jose Lara, president of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, received the Legacy Leader Award from the National Association of Latino Credit ...
Making A Difference

Family Trust Federal Credit Union recognized for housing-focused financial education efforts

Family Trust Federal Credit Union (Family Trust) has been recognized by the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation with the Desjardins Adult ...
Other

Gulf Winds Welcomes Christopher Tenney as Vice President of Cybersecurity

Gulf Winds Credit Union is excited to announce that Christopher Tenney has joined the senior leadership team as Vice President ...
Personnel Promotions

CRIF Select Welcomes Julie Nielsen as SVP of Account Management to Accelerate Client Growth and Enterprise Value

CRIF Select has appointed Julie Nielsen as Senior Vice President of Account Management to drive client growth and enterprise value ...
Legal/Regulatory

Bipartisan AFFORD Act Will Strengthen CDFI Fund

The bipartisan Advancing Financial Opportunities through Revitalizing and Developing CDFIs (AFFORD) Act was introduced this week by Senators Steve Daines ...
Industry Analysis & Trends

Baker Market Update – Week in Review: February 27, 2026

Released every Friday, BMU is a brief and informative newsletter that provides financial institutions a review of the week’s economic ...
Making A Difference

SECU and SECU Foundation Receive Disaster Response Champions Award for Helene Relief Efforts

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) and SECU Foundation recently received the inaugural Disaster Response Champions Award from Carolinas Credit Union ...
New Product Releases

St. Cloud Financial Credit Union Launches CU-Digital Asset Vault™ — Positioning the Credit Union as the most Valuable Wallet for Member Digital Wealth

St. Cloud Financial Credit Union (SCFCU) announced the live launch of the CU-Digital Asset Vault™, the first credit union-built digital ...
Marketing

Appli CEO Tim Pranger to Showcase Real-Time Property Value Calculator at CUNA GAC 2026

Appli, the creator of the industry’s first AI-powered smart financial calculator, today announced that Founder and CEO Tim Pranger will ...
Other

Newsweek names Redwood Credit Union one of the Greatest Midsize Workplaces for Women

Newsweek has awarded Redwood Credit Union its highest five-star rating as one of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces for Women, an ...
Strategic Partnerships

Ocean State Credit Union Selects Synergent for Core Processing and Integrated Services

WESTBROOK, ME (February 26, 2026) – Synergent® has entered into a ten-year hosted Jack Henry™ Symitar® core processing agreement with ...
New Product Releases

eDOC Innovations Announces Product Enhancements

eDOC announces product updates and enhancements including new integration capabilities with its e-Sign solution, eDOCSignature, optimization of iDOCVault document management ...
Other

Vizo Financial’s March 2026 Education Calendar

At Vizo Financial we are committed to providing quality education to credit unions and their staff, which is why we ...
Other

Meriwest Credit Union Wins Top Honor as Best Credit Union in Silicon Valley 2026

We’re excited to share that Meriwest has been voted as the Best Credit Union in Silicon Valley in 2026 by ...
Lending

Origence Ends 2025 with 17% Growth in Fundings; Expands AI-Driven Lending Technology

Origence, the leading lending technology solutions provider for credit unions, closed 2025 with $62 billion in total fundings, up 17% ...
Operations & HR

Xpress Data Inc. hires Kirk Drake as new President

Xpress Data Inc. hires Kirk Drake as new President. Drake brings decades of experience in credit unions and technology strategy ...
Other

Catherine Bryant and Jonah Kaufman of Coastal Wealth Management Recognized as Distinguished Financial Professionals by LPL Financial

Catherine Bryant and Jonah Kaufman, Wealth Advisors at Coastal Wealth Management in Raleigh, have earned a place among LPL Financials’ ...

Credit Unions Gain Edge with New CashBack+ Credit Card Rewards

New York, NY – February 25, 2025 – Prizeout, the leader in advertising and financial technology, today announced the launch ...
Making A Difference

ICUL Launches “Credit Unions in Action” to Showcase Statewide Community Impact

The Illinois Credit Union League has opened our inaugural Credit Unions in Action (CUIA) data collection initiative, and we’re excited ...
Strategic Partnerships

Apple Federal Credit Union Partners with Quavo to Modernize Dispute Operations and Elevate Member Experience

Quavo, Inc. (“Quavo”), the proven AI disputes technology partner and leading strategic advisor for financial institutions, has announced a new ...
Technology

Wings Credit Union Signs with Corelation, Selecting KeyStone to Elevate Its Future

Wings Credit Union has signed with Corelation, confirming their decision to select the KeyStone core to power what is a ...
Lending

FI Connect Expands with Home Improvement Lending Channel, Helping Credit Unions Access New Home Renovation Loan Opportunities

Origence, the leading credit union lending technology company in the U.S., announced that its subsidiary, FI Connect, has expanded its ...
Other

Callahan & Gallup Welcome Two Credit Unions To The Member Engagement And Financial Wellbeing Consortium

Callahan & Associates, a recognized leader in performance measurement, leadership development, strategic advisory and community development for credit unions, and Gallup, a global analytics and ...
Operations & HR

QuantyPhi Welcomes Max Bade as ALM & CECL Analyst

QuantyPhi, a wholly owned CUSO of Corporate Central, is pleased to welcome Max Bade as ALM & CECL Analyst as ...
Charity Events

LAFCU, Quality Dairy partner for third annual Paczki Palooza to benefit local charities

LANSING, Mich. — LAFCU partnered with Quality Dairy for the third consecutive year as co-sponsor of Pączki Palooza, the popular ...
Making A Difference

EECU Celebrates Fresno Unified Excellence in Education Honorees

FRESNO, Calif. (Feb. 20, 2026) – Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) proudly sponsored the Fresno Unified School District’s annual Excellence ...
Other

Coastal Credit Union Headquarters Renovation Earns Multiple Honors

Coastal Credit Union’s headquarters renovation has earned top recognition from both the Triangle Business Journal and the Carolinas AGC, underscoring ...
Strategic Partnerships

Woodford State Bank Selects Square 1 Credit Suite by Suntell

Woodford State Bank Selects Square 1 Credit Suite by Suntell February 23, 2026 — Suntell, a leading provider of loan ...
Marketing

Suntell Marks 30 Years Advancing Commercial and Agricultural Lending Technology for Community Financial Institutions

Suntell Marks 30 Years Advancing Commercial and Agricultural Lending Technology for Community Financial Institutions Suntell is celebrating its 30th anniversary, ...
Technology

Peninsula Community Credit Union Selects Alogent’s FASTdocs to Modernize Enterprise Content Management

Peninsula Community Credit Union has selected FASTdocs, Alogent’s enterprise content management (ECM) platform, to modernize its document management environment. Delivered ...
Other

National Association of Latino Credit Union Professionals Honors SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union President Jose Lara with Legacy Leader Award

Jose Lara, president of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, received the Legacy Leader Award from the National Association of Latino Credit ...
Making A Difference

Family Trust Federal Credit Union recognized for housing-focused financial education efforts

Family Trust Federal Credit Union (Family Trust) has been recognized by the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation with the Desjardins Adult ...
Other

Gulf Winds Welcomes Christopher Tenney as Vice President of Cybersecurity

Gulf Winds Credit Union is excited to announce that Christopher Tenney has joined the senior leadership team as Vice President ...

LAFCU honors longtime board members whose guidance shaped decades of growth

LANSING, Mich. — LAFCU employees gave a standing ovation to retiring members of its board of directors during the credit union’s recent All Staff Day, ...

Registration Now Open for 2026 ALM First Financial Forum

Dallas, Texas – Financial institution executives and board members are encouraged to register now for ALM First’s 2026 Financial Forum, the firm’s flagship conference which ...

Sound Credit Union and Junior Achievement Expand Partnership

TACOMA, Wash. – Sound Credit Union (Sound) celebrated its partnership with Junior Achievement of Washington (JA) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony recognizing the grand opening of ...

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union Earns Seven Diamond Awards from America’s Credit Unions

The Marketing & Business Development Council of America’s Credit Unions awarded SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union seven Diamond Awards, one of the credit union industry’s most ...

OCEANAIR FCU TO LAUNCH SUITE OF STUDENT CHOICE LENDING SOLUTIONS

CU Student Choice announced its student loan and refinance solutions will soon be available to members of OceanAir Federal Credit Union.

Spotlighting the Industry’s Trailblazers: 2026 CUES Awards Nominations Now Open

MADISON, WI — April 8, 2026 — Nominations are open through May 15 for the 2026 CUES Awards & Recognition program, which honors individuals and ...
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