Every single day, credit unions change lives.
Whether it's helping a young family purchase that first home, teaching children the value of a dollar, or supporting local schools, small businesses and causes, credit unions are making a difference.
And underpinning all of that is the credit union motto: not for profit, not for charity but for service. It's something called the credit union difference, and that's what Credit Union Journal's annual Day in the Life of Credit Unions project is all about.
This special feature was created specifically to celebrate International Credit Union Day by demonstrating the industry's dedication to its founding philosophy of people helping people.
Every year, we invite credit unions all across the country to take photos throughout the day on the same day. From opening the doors for business to locking the doors at night, and everything in between, the idea is for the photos taken on that day to show a typical — and sometimes not-so-typical — day in the life of a credit union.
Now in its 19th year, this program gives you the chance to celebrate the credit union difference by shooting photos at your credit union throughout the day on Sept. 21. Submit your photos by Sept. 30, and the best photos will be featured online and in print on Oct. 17 in conjunction with International Credit Union Week.
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On Sept. 21, get out your camera or whip out your smartphone to capture what makes your credit union special. It might be the loan officer helping someone buy his first car, the teller helping a girl open her first savings account, the back-office team making it all happen.
Or it might be team of employees that volunteered to box up school supplies for children in need, or it could be the HR person training a new hire, who is just about to learn exactly what the credit union difference is.
The possibilities are endless, because even the smallest of things can make a difference.
Editor in Chief Lisa Freeman can be reached at l
