The Georgia Credit Union Affiliates recently released its 2019 Helping People Afford Life Outreach Report, highlighting the many ways credit unions have helped Georgians afford life over the past year.

“‘Helping People Afford Life’ doesn’t mean the same thing to everybody – but it holds a similar ring of truth among credit union members,” reads the intro to the HPAL Outreach Report. “It means funding life’s big milestone events. It means spending less on loan rates and fees…Simply put, for credit union members, ‘helping people afford life’ means getting more out of life, without paying more.”

Each year, GCUA, the trade organization for credit unions in the state, asks all credit unions in Georgia to complete a survey designed to gauge their community engagement. The league then compiles this data into its annual HPAL Outreach Report.

This year’s 11-page report shows that Georgia’s 99 credit unions continue to play an active role in helping their members and communities afford life. For instance, 91 percent of credit unions made monetary donations to charitable programs in 2018 – resulting in $3.4 million raised or donated by Georgia credit unions for charitable initiatives, according to the report.

Credit unions also contributed significantly to financial literacy education efforts in their communities. According to the report, Georgia credit unions held 2,386 educational events attended by 39,296 people in 2018.

“Credit unions across Georgia work every day to provide financial advice, education and solutions to their members and communities,” said Kristi Arrington, vice president of information development at GCUA. “This report helps showcase the meaningful ways these credit unions help Georgians afford life.”

Click here to read the full 2019 Helping People Afford Life Outreach Report.