The Credit Union National Association awarded Georgia United Credit Union with a first-place Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award, which commends a credit union for its outstanding efforts in community projects.

Georgia United Credit Union won with School Crashers, a program that allows schools each year to apply for a facility makeover. The credit union then unites the community, media partners, donors and volunteers to make those facility improvements a reality each summer.

“Georgia United takes great pride in being an active and responsible member of the communities we serve,” said Kim Wall, director of business and community development. “We believe giving back is not only the right way, but the only way. As a business partner in education, we want to empower students to become successful, productive citizens, enrich lives and advance financial literacy.”

This year, about 450 volunteers helped Georgia United Credit Union complete eight school makeovers. Rock Chapel Elementary School in Lithonia, Ga., was this year’s grand prize winner and received multiple improvements to its facility. As a Title 1 school, Rock Chapel serves a large concentration of low-income students.

Georgia Credit Union Affiliates, the trade organization for credit unions in the state, entered Georgia United Credit Union into CUNA’s national competition after awarding a statewide Dora Maxwell award for credit unions with more than $1 billion in assets to the School Crashers program in August.

This isn’t the first time Georgia United Credit Union took home a first-place Dora Maxwell award. The School Crashers program also received the honor in 2015.