Great Lakes CU Starts and Ends 2017 by Helping Their Community

Bannockburn (IL) - Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) concluded 2017 as it began the year – helping those who live within the communities it serves. “Our credit union is proud to give back and pay it forward in meaningful ways throughout the communities we are involved in. By supporting and volunteering at organizations and community events, we can help fulfill wishes where caring is needed the most,” says Yvonne Bailey, Vice President of Marketing at GLCU.

GLCU staff, Board members and senior management provided volunteer and financial support to many initiatives during the year. These are a few highlights:

Board Charity Project: The Board of Directors and Branch Managers selected 13 local organizations to support and GLCU donated a total of $33,000:

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (Antioch)

• United Way of Will County (Bolingbrook)

• Wally Burns Veterans of Foreign Wars (Country Club Hills)

• Crystal Lake Food Pantry, Horizons for the Blind, and Senior Care Volunteer Network (Crystal Lake)

• Gurnee Township - Richard A. Welton Plaza 

• 360 Youth Services (Naperville)

• Nicasa and Mano A Mano (Round Lake Beach)

• PADS Lake County (Waukegan)

• Pioneer Center for Human Services (Woodstock)

• A Safe Place (Zion)

Charities of Choice: Each year, GLCU contributes a total of $10,000 to two local organizations ($5,000 each). In 2017, the recipients were CASA Lake County in Vernon Hills and the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton.

Child Safety & Fun Fairs: GLCU held free events in Bolingbrook and Gurnee. Parents received identity toolkits, police volunteers fingerprinted children, and firefighters and EMTs explained the workings of fire trucks and ambulances. 

Global Reach: GLCU staff volunteered at Feed My Starving Children events in Libertyville and Aurora to pack meal kits to help feed more than 40,000 children worldwide who do not have access to proper nutrition.

Holiday Giving: Branch Managers worked closely with the Community Development team to research local, charitable causes to support this holiday season.

• Open Arms Mission (Antioch)

• Village of Bolingbrook

• Together We Cope (Country Club Hills)

• The Salvation Army Crystal Lake Corps Community Center

• Warren Township Center (Gurnee)

• Bridge Communities (Naperville)

• Maristella (North Chicago)

• P.L.A.N. (Round Lake Beach)

• The Salvation Army Waukegan Corps Community Center

• Community Action Agency (Woodstock)

• Northern Illinois Food Bank (Zion)

Hurricane and Wildfire Relief: GLCU held a fundraiser to help provide relief to those affected by the natural disasters that happened earlier this year. There was a total of $4,450 donated, which includes GLCU Board of Directors’ donation of $2,500.

Member Commitment: In 2017, GLCU gave back more than $3.5 million dollars to its members in dividends, free financial education, free checks, free ATMs and ATM rebates, and other free convenience services like mobile check deposits, online banking and eStatements.

Random Acts of Kindness: A fun, year-long initiative that let GLCU staff pay it forward to more than 1,800 people within the community. Random Acts of Kindness included everything from handing out gift cards for free lunches, flowers, car washes, donuts, diapers, ice cream, goodie bags, and the like.

Secret Santa for Veterans: More than 2,000 items were collected at GLCU branches to help veterans at the Midwest Veterans Closet in North Chicago and the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans in Wheaton. The Midwest Veterans Closet is a not-for-profit rapid response charity that provides clothes, household items, shoes and boots, linens, and food to local veterans. The Midwest Shelter for Homeless supplies veterans and their families with housing and supportive services that lead to self-sufficiency.

Veteran Support: GLCU sponsored the Village of Willow Springs 10th Annual Benefit Car Show for the Willow Springs Veterans and Family Relief Fund. The Family Relief Fund assists Veterans with food, rent and utilities. GLCU employees also supported the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans with hundreds of donations collected at the GLCU annual employee picnic.

Youth Financial Literacy: GLCU conducted 45 “Mad City Money” financial education simulations, which benefited over 2,000 local high school students.

About Great Lakes Credit Union

Founded in 1938, GLCU continues to be a growing staple in the community. Today the not-for-profit financial institution serves nearly 86,000 members and has $786 million in assets. It is headquartered in Bannockburn and has 11 branches and more than 170 ATM locations throughout Chicagoland. GLCU also belongs to the CO-OP Shared Branching Network. Members can access accounts nationwide at over 1,800 institutions with thousands of locations in 50 states, and at any of the 30,000 surchargefree COOP ATMs. The credit union prides itself in building lifelong relationships and providing financial education for members during all life stages. Learn more at www.glcu.org.