PLANO, Texas–The Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation has launched a series of financial well-being programs it said is part of a new Pandemic Response Strategy to meet the needs of credit unions, their staff, and their members.
The strategy contains four specific components that include the Financial Counseling Certification Program, known as FiCEP; a toolkit for Certified Credit Union Financial Counselors (CCUFC); free one-on-one financial counseling; and affordable e-learning programs, the Foundation said.
"The Foundation understands the need to take care of Cornerstone-region credit unions and their staff during this unprecedented time," said Executive Director Courtney Moran in a statement. "We are proud of our traditional disaster relief efforts and our ability to spring into action when natural disasters strike. Because this public health crisis is beyond our disaster mission criteria, we want to close the gap between that mission and real needs on the ground."
According to the Cornerstone Credit Union League, Moran said the Foundation wanted to help in a “way that has a ripple effect, spreading from credit union staff to members, using immediate and long-term assistance, while at the same time keeping to their purpose of empowering people to improve their financial well-being.”
‘For Years to Come’
Moran said members will be looking to their credit unions for financial relief and guidance for many months and perhaps even years to come. With the Pandemic Response Strategy, Moran is seeking to address the missing human connection and sense of community; provide low-cost professional development opportunities for credit union staff; and connect with credit union staff who may still be working but impacted negatively due to a significant other who may have lost a job or experienced a cut in hours, according to the Cornerstone CU League.