Georgia credit unions help people afford life in a variety of ways and, each year, Georgia Credit Union Affiliates recognizes these efforts with its statewide awards program. The program features four awards, which credit unions compete for within categories based on asset size.
The Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Services Award commends a credit union for its outstanding efforts in community projects. The Louise Herring Award for Philosophy in Action honors credit unions that are making exceptional efforts to include credit union philosophy into daily operations. And the Desjardins Financial Education awards recognize leadership in both youth and adult financial literacy initiatives.
“Credit unions exist to help people afford life,” said Mike Mercer, president and CEO of Georgia Credit Union Affiliates. “These awards highlight some of the creative ways our state’s credit unions make a real difference to their members, to their communities and to the state.”
This year, Delta Community Credit Union won both the Desjardins awards for financial education – one for its youth programming and one for its adult education initiatives – among Georgia credit unions with more than $1 billion in assets. The Atlanta- based credit union has been teaching financial literacy to kids through its School Programs Financial Education project and to adults through its online Financial Education Center, which puts a variety of free educational resources at users’ fingertips.
DOCO Credit Union, based in Albany, was recognized among Georgia credit unions with $50 million to $250 million in assets with both the Dora Maxwell Award and the Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award. The credit union won the Desjardins with its 2018 Desjardin Youth Financial Education program. It won the Dora Maxwell with Memories and a Jaguar, an event DOCO put on in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association that raised awareness of the disease while providing the chance to win a Jaguar.
Georgia United Credit Union won the statewide Dora Maxwell Award for credit unions with more than $1 billion in assets with School Crashers, a program that brings communities together to make over local schools in need.
Associated Credit Union won the Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Award for Georgia credit unions with more than $1 billion in assets. The credit union won with its ACU Wallet, a phone app that offers members better security and control of their credit and debit cards.
Health Center Credit Union won the Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award among state credit unions with $50 million – $250 million in assets for its Financial Wellness Series with Augusta University, which offered classes to all Augusta University and AU Health employees
1st Choice Credit Union won the Dora Maxwell award among Georgia credit unions with less than $50 million in assets for Dreams Start Here, a philosophy the credit union uses to guide underserved members toward financial stability.
The award-winning submissions from Georgia have been entered in the national awards program administered by the Credit Union National Association. The results of the national contest will be announced in October.
