Today isn’t your average Thursday.  October 18 marks the platinum anniversary of celebrating International Credit Union (ICU) Day.  On this day we honor and recognize the important contributions credit unions have made to their members’ lives across the country and around the globe.

For nearly two centuries, financial cooperatives have encouraged people of every race, gender, and belief to come together for the betterment of their communities. We call it “People Helping People”- a credo which demonstrates how credit unions offer a platinum lining.

Because the credit union movement is unlike any other in the financial realm, we must stay engaged on the public policy front to ensure that laws and regulations do not harm our ability to serve our members and support important causes like Ending Hunger here in Maine.  For example, credit unions are often under attack by banks who work behind the scenes to jeopardize our non-profit tax status.

Advocacy matters and the priorities we fight for in Augusta and Washington help to ensure not only the survival, but also the growth of credit unions in our state and across our country.  As we look ahead to 2019, we look forward to educating newly elected leaders about the credit union difference.  We have a special and unique story to tell and by using our voice, together we’ll celebrate many more credit union anniversaries in the future.