INDIANAPOLIS—The president and CEO of Financial Center First Credit Union here, J. Kevin Ryan, and its director of Community Relations, Marco Dominguez, traveled to Colombia to share their
credit union’s strategies for helping people improve their lives through financial education.
Ryan and Dominguez’s trip to Colombia came at the invitation of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and was a part of Financial Center’s growing initiative to provide financial literacy on a global scale, the credit union said. They were hosted by Oscar Guzman, Director of WOCCU and his team.
What Took Place
While in South America, Ryan and Dominguez visited WOCCU’s Bogota office to learn more about the organization’s global financial literacy outreach specifically to the remote areas of northeast Colombia that border Venezuela. Financial Center First FCU said in Bogota WOCCU is focused on bringing financial literacy and credit union services to the un-banked through “sometimes extraordinary circumstances – traveling rivers in small boats, traversing mountain paths, and overcoming fear of conflict with thieves and armed guerrillas.”
Financial Center, a three-time national winner of CUNA’s Adult Financial Education Award, said it was chosen to speak at WOCCU’s Education Summit because of its dedication to teaching responsible money management skills to its members, community members, and Indiana’s immigrant population. Financial Center employs two dedicated staff members for adult and youth financial education efforts and is the chosen sole provider of financial literacy to immigrants who visit the Consul de Mexico in Indiana, the credit union said. As a result, the CU teaches financial literacy to more than 3,000 people annually, 80% of whom are not members.
‘Amazing Work’
“Financial Center was honored to share how we’ve made financial literacy such an integral part of serving our community with fellow credit unions from South America, and to learn of the successful financial literacy efforts accomplished in Colombia. The work being done is just amazing,” said Ryan.
Financial Center reported its representatives also had the opportunity to speak to WOCCU members, local credit unions and several Colombian government agencies about its business practices, with discussions focused on mobilizing financial literacy outreach and developing strategic planning as a credit union competency.
“I believe credit unions are more alike than they are different,” observed Ryan. “Whether you live in Central Indiana or the borders of South America, your local credit union is doing whatever it takes to spread the cooperative principles that credit unions were built upon. We‘re ‘people helping people’ building financial stability so members can live a better life.”