CHAMPAIGN, Ill.–University of Illinois Community Credit Union participated in the second annual CU Kind Day, a statewide credit union initiative to give back to the communities CUs serve by spreading kindness.
Staff members of UICCU dedicated their time by donating money to pay it forward across the community, including by paying the bills for unsuspecting customers at Common Ground Food Cooperative, Sidney Dairy Barn, Ingolds Meat and Deli and other local businesses. They were also able to give back to organizations such as Monticello School District, Urbana Fire Department, and Salt & Light.
“By participating in CU Kind Day, we aim to show our communities how people helping people is at the heart of the credit union movement,” said UICCU. “ICUL launched CU Kind Day in 2019 with the purpose of spreading kindness and generating awareness for the good work done by credit unions in their communities. On this day, over 20,000 people were positively impacted around the state. This demonstration of cooperation and outreach showed Illinois what the credit union difference looks like and how credit unions put their members and communities first.”
“I’m so proud to work in an industry that focuses on people over profits,” said ICUL President Tom Kane. “That mindset does more than just describe the priorities of a credit union; it is the keystone that credit unions are built around. I look at the CU Kind Day initiative as a manifestation of that mindset; it is an opportunity to show our communities how important they are to credit unions, and to the movement as a whole.”
“CU Kind Day is one of the many opportunities for us to do more good,” said UICCU President/CEO Chris Harlan. “One of the cornerstones of the credit union culture is impowering staff to give back to their local community. Now more than ever, we need to find ways to lift each other up and spread kindness. CU Kind Day allowed us to do all of that plus so much more.”