“It bears repeating that credit unions empower people, wherever they are in the world or life, to take control of their financial future.”
THURSDAY is International Credit Union Day, an occasion dedicated to credit unions worldwide to show how and why everything they do serves the needs of their members. That day is also an opportunity for credit unions to raise world-wide awareness about the movement.
Credit Unions in Saint Lucia have been observing this day for quite some time now, with some having activities from the start of the month up to the day.
Aside from showing members that they care, on that day credit unions also expose to the world the impact they have had in the communities they serve.
From a Saint Lucia perspective the credit unions have done a tremendous job of helping to bring about financial empowerment to many communities and low-income earners, even businesses that would not have qualified for financial assistance from contemporary financial institutions like banks and other modern-day money lenders.
Past Credit Union Day festivities include community outreach and volunteering initiatives, fundraising for charities and hosting open houses to raise awareness for the credit union movement. These events help credit unions proudly share with the public their lasting impact on their communities.
The Saint Lucia Workers’ Credit Union along with the Civil Service Credit Union and others celebrate not just International Credit Day but the month of October as International Credit Union Month.
As part of this year’s observation, the Civil Service Credit Union has already had a church service and breakfast while the Workers’ Credit Union also had activities that started from the first day of the month with a Senior Appreciation Lunch. The following day there was a live panel discussion on the evolution of the credit union.
The Workers’ Credit Union will continue their activities today with a family fun day on the Derek Walcott Square for members with children below the age of 16, followed on Monday with a youth financial exposé at their headquarters on Bourbon Street.
On Wednesday, in keeping with International Day for the Eradication of Poverty the credit union will be hosting a lunch for needy persons in what is being described as an eradication of poverty initiative.
Despite the many activities credit unions here will be staging in observation of credit union month and International Credit Union Day, one thing all have held dear to them is the understanding that their members are the lifeblood of the organizations.
Come Thursday October 17 they will be joining 56,000 credit unions around the world in celebration of International Credit Union Day.
There are millions of credit union members around the world—more than 100 million in the U.S. alone—all of whom will be in celebration of the not-for-profit cooperative spirit that all credit unions share.
This cooperative spirit has led to life-changing opportunities for people all over the world who’ve wanted to start a small business, own a home or continue their education but were denied access to other financial institutions. In many parts of the world, people’s first taste of democracy is through their credit union, where “one member, one vote” is the governing structure.
At its most basic level, a credit union is people pooling their money to provide each other with affordable loans—it is literally people helping people. This is why credit unions in Saint Lucia celebrate International Credit Union Day. It bears repeating that credit unions empower people, wherever they are in the world or life, to take control of their financial future.
The public is welcome to stop by any credit union to join in on celebrations on Thursday October 17. Persons doing so must remember that credit unions are a movement that concerns itself with the financial success of all people.
