WENTZVILLE, Mo.– 1st Financial FCU here is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a campaign themed “50 Small Acts of Cooperation.”
According to 1st Financial, the 50 Small Acts of Cooperation initiative will help 1st Financial members, nonmembers, and local nonprofits with anything from paying a bill to collecting school supplies to participating in paid employee volunteer days to feeding the homeless and more.
To date, 1st Financial has completed 20 of the 50 Acts planned in 2018
“In 1968 District 837 Credit Union (now 1st Financial Federal Credit Union) was created from the idea that if we can find a better way to work together, we can accomplish great things,” said Laura Woods, vice president of marketing and community presence. “But our niche can’t just be in our structure as a credit union. We are not for profit, but if there is no discernable difference for the member, it’s vapor. It’s nothing. So, we talk about our structure as a credit union, because out of our mission comes our intent, which drives our action.”
The first person to benefit from the 50 Acts of Cooperation project was 1st Financial Member David W., who spends his own money to help feed the homeless in St. Louis each week. 1st Financial said it was proud to help David by gifting him with a small monetary gift to help continue the strong community work that he’s doing by caring for the unhoused community.
“When I first started working in the city, I’d see a lot of homeless people and I felt like I could do a bit more,” said David. “I can go home to a comfortable bed, but everyday I’d see them laying on the streets. I can’t give them a bed, but I can get them something to eat.”
1st Financial member Scott, who is a recovering addict, was given the opportunity to open a checking account with a monetary gift to help him turn his financial life around. After having been turned away by other financial institutions, Scott was grateful to be given a second chance at a new life, the credit union reported.
“We aren’t just the better way to bank because our board and CEO aren’t getting rich,” said Woods. “We are better because we invest tens of thousands of dollars into our communities, to heal real issues. And we lend every dollar we get to people who need access to low interest and available credit and we produce real impacts,” said Woods.
A video featuring the first winner can be found here.