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

Family First After The Fires

Financial Partners Credit Union

Our long-time member, who has been with Financial Partners Credit Union since 1998, was recently devastated by the Pacific Palisades fires. Tragically, he lost everything, including his home. As the head of the household and sole income provider, the responsibility of supporting his family during such an unimaginable time added immense financial stress. The member […]

A Financial Checkup Changed Everything

Service 1st Federal Credit Union

When Maria walked in for her Financial Checkup, the first thing I noticed wasn’t her paperwork — it was the exhaustion on her face. A single mother of three, she was working two jobs and surviving on just a few hours of sleep. Every minute and every dollar already had a purpose. Missing work wasn’t […]

A Helping Hand At The Right Time

New Horizon Federal Credit Union

This story is about a member who is a regular at our high school branch. When he first came in to open his account, he did not know much about banking and had many questions. We were able to set him up with his own checking and savings accounts that only he had access to. […]

From Employee To Entrepreneur

AltaOne Federal Credit Union

When the owners of Bakersfield Carpet Cleaning, a trusted family-owned business, decided it was time to retire, it marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. For Britany L., a single mother working a 9-to-5 as an accountant, it was the opportunity she had been waiting for. Ready to take a leap […]

Building Credit and Confidence Together

New Horizon Federal Credit Union

This story is about a member who purchased a used vehicle from his dad, which became his first car with a payment and gave him the opportunity to begin building his credit. After successfully paying off the loan, he was able to build his credit score to 750, allowing him to co‑sign on his girlfriend’s […]

A Lifeline During Unrelenting Change

Commodore Perry Federal Credit Union

A long-time member, who relocated out of state several years ago, has continued to maintain her banking relationship with the credit union. Since her move, she has faced a series of difficult personal and financial challenges. After being diagnosed with a tumor that required treatment, her work hours were significantly reduced, which led to financial […]

Marketing

ORIGENCE ANNOUNCES DAYMOND JOHN AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR LENDING TECH LIVE ’26 CONFERENCE

Origence, a leading provider of lending technology solutions, announced acclaimed entrepreneur, branding expert, and “Shark Tank” star Daymond John will ...
Strategic Partnerships

ELGA Credit Union Completes Acquisition of Marine Bank

GRAND BLANC, Mich. & VERO BEACH, Fla.-ELGA Credit Union has announced that it has completed its acquisition of Marine Bancorp ...
Personnel Promotions

Heartland Credit Union Selects Aaron Rios As New CEO

Springfield, IL— Heartland Credit Union has selected Aaron Rios to serve as its new Chief Executive Officer. He was placed ...
Marketing

EECU Named Best Credit Union and Home Loans in North SLO County

FRESNO, Calif. (March 6, 2026) – Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) is proud to announce it has once again been ...
Making A Difference

Redwood Credit Union Surpasses $1 Million in Giving Support for Redwood Empire Food Bank

Redwood Credit Union (RCU) today announced a major milestone in its long-standing partnership with the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB), ...
Making A Difference

Family Trust Federal Credit Union Joins Upstate Credit Unions for Habitat Greenville Credit Union Build 2026

Continuing its commitment to affordable housing in the Carolinas, Family Trust Federal Credit Union is joining fellow credit unions across ...
Industry Analysis & Trends

Baker Market Update – Week in Review: March 6, 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

22 Nonprofits Receive $69,400 in Grants from 3Rivers Credit Union Foundation

The 3Rivers Credit Union Foundation’s first round of 2026 funding awarded $69,400 to 22 nonprofits across northeast and central Indiana ...
Other

BECU continues expansion with new locations in Auburn, Liberty Lake, and Mercer Island

BECU, Washington’s largest credit union, is continuing its expansion by adding new Neighborhood Financial Centers (NFCs) in Auburn (Lakeland Hills ...
Other

SchoolsFirst FCU’s Kristin Crellin Named 2026 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Distinguished Alumna

Kristin Crellin, senior vice president of community and Membership development at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, has been named a 2026 ...
Making A Difference

Coastal Credit Union’s Creighton Blackwell Inducted into African American Credit Union Hall of Fame

Coastal Credit Union’s Chief Community Impact and Public Affairs Officer Creighton Blackwell is among the African American Credit Union 2026 ...
Technology

Hanscom Federal Credit Union Selects Corelation’s KeyStone to Advance Its Members First Mission and Long-Term Innovation

Hanscom Federal Credit Union ($2.1 billion assets; 115,000+ members; Littleton, MA) selected the Corelation KeyStone core, marking an important milestone ...
Strategic Partnerships

Credit Union West Partners with Arkatechture to Advance Enterprise Data & Analytics Capabilities

Credit Union West has partnered with Arkatechture to strengthen their ability to transform data into timely, actionable insights that support ...
New Product Releases

Vizo Financial Launches DefaultSleuth to Help Credit Unions Shift from Reactive Collections to Proactive Risk Prevention

Vizo Financial Corporate Credit Union introduced DefaultSleuth, a behavioral-first risk intelligence platform designed to help credit unions manage default risk ...
Personnel Promotions

For Immediate Release – Natco Credit Union Appoints Tim Frame as President/CEO

Richmond, IN, March 2, 2026. Natco Credit Union announced the appointment of Tim Frame as its next President and Chief ...

Final Weeks To Apply For LAFCU’s 2026 Write To Educate Essay Contest

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan high school seniors have until March 31 to submit entries for LAFCU’s 2026 Write to Educate ...
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’ ...
Marketing

ORIGENCE ANNOUNCES DAYMOND JOHN AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR LENDING TECH LIVE ’26 CONFERENCE

Origence, a leading provider of lending technology solutions, announced acclaimed entrepreneur, branding expert, and “Shark Tank” star Daymond John will ...
Strategic Partnerships

ELGA Credit Union Completes Acquisition of Marine Bank

GRAND BLANC, Mich. & VERO BEACH, Fla.-ELGA Credit Union has announced that it has completed its acquisition of Marine Bancorp ...
Personnel Promotions

Heartland Credit Union Selects Aaron Rios As New CEO

Springfield, IL— Heartland Credit Union has selected Aaron Rios to serve as its new Chief Executive Officer. He was placed ...
Marketing

EECU Named Best Credit Union and Home Loans in North SLO County

FRESNO, Calif. (March 6, 2026) – Educational Employees Credit Union (EECU) is proud to announce it has once again been ...
Making A Difference

Redwood Credit Union Surpasses $1 Million in Giving Support for Redwood Empire Food Bank

Redwood Credit Union (RCU) today announced a major milestone in its long-standing partnership with the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB), ...
Making A Difference

Family Trust Federal Credit Union Joins Upstate Credit Unions for Habitat Greenville Credit Union Build 2026

Continuing its commitment to affordable housing in the Carolinas, Family Trust Federal Credit Union is joining fellow credit unions across ...
Industry Analysis & Trends

Baker Market Update – Week in Review: March 6, 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

22 Nonprofits Receive $69,400 in Grants from 3Rivers Credit Union Foundation

The 3Rivers Credit Union Foundation’s first round of 2026 funding awarded $69,400 to 22 nonprofits across northeast and central Indiana ...
Other

BECU continues expansion with new locations in Auburn, Liberty Lake, and Mercer Island

BECU, Washington’s largest credit union, is continuing its expansion by adding new Neighborhood Financial Centers (NFCs) in Auburn (Lakeland Hills ...
Other

SchoolsFirst FCU’s Kristin Crellin Named 2026 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Distinguished Alumna

Kristin Crellin, senior vice president of community and Membership development at SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, has been named a 2026 ...
Making A Difference

Coastal Credit Union’s Creighton Blackwell Inducted into African American Credit Union Hall of Fame

Coastal Credit Union’s Chief Community Impact and Public Affairs Officer Creighton Blackwell is among the African American Credit Union 2026 ...
Technology

Hanscom Federal Credit Union Selects Corelation’s KeyStone to Advance Its Members First Mission and Long-Term Innovation

Hanscom Federal Credit Union ($2.1 billion assets; 115,000+ members; Littleton, MA) selected the Corelation KeyStone core, marking an important milestone ...
Strategic Partnerships

Credit Union West Partners with Arkatechture to Advance Enterprise Data & Analytics Capabilities

Credit Union West has partnered with Arkatechture to strengthen their ability to transform data into timely, actionable insights that support ...
New Product Releases

Vizo Financial Launches DefaultSleuth to Help Credit Unions Shift from Reactive Collections to Proactive Risk Prevention

Vizo Financial Corporate Credit Union introduced DefaultSleuth, a behavioral-first risk intelligence platform designed to help credit unions manage default risk ...
Personnel Promotions

For Immediate Release – Natco Credit Union Appoints Tim Frame as President/CEO

Richmond, IN, March 2, 2026. Natco Credit Union announced the appointment of Tim Frame as its next President and Chief ...

Final Weeks To Apply For LAFCU’s 2026 Write To Educate Essay Contest

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan high school seniors have until March 31 to submit entries for LAFCU’s 2026 Write to Educate ...
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’ ...

For Immediate Release – Boston Firefighters Credit Union Appoints Elizabeth Adcock as Chief Digital & Information Officer

Boston, MA, April 16, 2026. Boston Firefighters Credit Union (BFCU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Adcock as Chief Digital & Information Officer. ...

NASCUS and Critical Ops Launch the 2026 Fraud School 

The National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS), in partnership with Critical Ops, announce the launch of the 2026 Fraud School, which will take ...

Callahan Gives Every Credit Union Access To Performance Insights

Washington, DC – Callahan & Associates announced today the launch of CU Profiles, a new free plan within its performance measurement platform, Peer Suite. Built ...

Tower Federal Credit Union and the Baltimore Orioles Announce New Bird Bath Sponsorship at Camden Yards

[Laurel, Maryland – April 15, 2026] The fan-favorite Bird Bath at Oriole Park at Camden Yards is set to make an even bigger splash this ...

Tower Federal Credit Union Hosts Free Shred Day To Fight Fraud & Prevent Identity Theft

[April 14, 2026 – Laurel, MD] Tower Federal Credit Union hosted a free Shred Day on April 11, 2026, at its Laurel, Maryland branch, giving ...

Synergent and Partner Bayer Heritage Federal Credit Union Recognized with Two Diamond Awards from America’s Credit Unions

WESTBTROOK, ME (April 14, 2026) – Synergent is pleased to announce it has received two Diamond Awards from America’s Credit Unions for an innovative auto ...
Scroll to Top