Washington Credit Unions Partner to Revamp Local Community Center

RICHLAND, WASH. (October 20, 2022) In celebration of the 74th annual International Credit Union (ICU) Day®, which falls on October 20, local credit unions: Gesa, HAPO, Numerica, STCU, and Tri-CU, will partner to help local non-profit, The Arc of Tri-Cities, revamp its Community Center. The Arc helps create opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to participate in society to their greatest potential, annually serving more than 2,000 individuals and their families in Benton and Franklin County.

“At the heart of a credit union is our commitment to making a positive impact on our local communities,” said Richard Waddle, Executive Vice President of Gesa Credit Union. “We’re honored and thrilled to come together with our fellow credit unions to give back to The Arc of Tri-Cities. The work they do to remove barriers for individuals across the state resonates with us all. We could not have thought of a better way to celebrate this year’s International Credit Union Day®.”

Together, the credit unions will repaint the Community Center as well as strip and wax the floors. The credit unions will then work to prepare and paint The Arc's Quiet Room, and clean and organize the craft closet, large hall bathroom, kitchen, and laundry rooms. The credit unions also pooled funds to purchase a new sectional and a scissor lift.

This International Credit Union Dayâ, the group’s goal is to create internal charitable initiatives that help empower our collective members, in support of this year’s theme: “Empower Your Financial Future with a Credit Union.”

International Credit Union Day® celebrates the spirit of the global credit union movement. This day is recognized to reflect upon the credit union movement’s history, promote its achievements, recognize its hard work, and share member experiences. International Credit Union Day® has been celebrated on the third Thursday of October since 1948.

The ultimate goal is to raise awareness about the tremendous work that credit unions and other financial cooperatives are doing around the world and give members the opportunity to get more engaged. The day of festivities for credit unions and financial cooperatives globally includes fundraisers, open houses, contents, picnics, volunteering, and parades.

Gesa Credit Union is Washington’s second largest credit union with over $5.5 billion in assets and is over 285,000 members strong. Gesa is a full-service financial institution that offers a complete array of consumer, mortgage, and business products and services. Headquartered in Richland, Washington, Gesa operates 28 branches across Washington and supports 12 student-operated high school branches. Gesa’s commitment to local communities includes support for Junior Achievement, the American Red Cross, annual youth scholarships, and free financial and educational resources available to members and the general public. For more information visit gesa.com. 

HAPO Community Credit Union continues to prosper and provide financial services to our 190,000 members within Washington State and several counties in the state of Oregon. We strive to promote credit union relevance and ultimately deliver the best value to our membership.

Headquartered in Spokane Valley, Numerica has more than 170,000 members throughout Eastern Washington, Central Washington and North Idaho. The credit union offers a full line of financial products and services and invests earnings toward its core purpose of enhancing lives, fulfilling dreams and building communities. With more than $3.6 billion in assets, Numerica is federally insured by NCUA and an Equal Housing Opportunity lender. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works or worships in the state of Washington or North Idaho.

Founded by educators in 1934, STCU is committed to being "here for good" in the communities where our 250,000 members live, work and learn. STCU employees are encouraged to serve with intentionality and purpose at organizations that match their passions, with time off for volunteerism, abundant leadership development opportunities, and tuition reimbursement.

Tri-CU Credit Union (also known as Tri-Cities Credit Union) was founded in 1969 as IBEW #112 Federal Credit Union and was then called Kennewick Credit Union. Tri-CU serves anyone who lives, works, or worships in Benton or Franklin County, currently about 6,000 members, and holds $70 Million in assets. Their single office is located in Kennewick on 19th Avenue, alongside Hwy 395 (across from the Harley Davidson store).