I was recently fishing with my son at a beautiful lake in Northern Arizona. Neither of us had fished at that lake before, and while my son had some luck reeling in some smaller fish, we noticed some fisherman down the shore from us that caught some much larger ones. Fish envy is a real thing. We tried a few different lures and baits and tried our best to imitate what we saw the others doing but didn’t have the same success.
As we packed up to try another spot, I stopped by to congratulate the other fishermen for their catches. They willingly shared the type of fish we could find in the lake, the types of bait and lures that worked best for each fish, and even the best times of year to catch fish. Better yet, one of our new friends pulled out some rooster tail lures and gave them to my son to use. My son attached the lure, and sure enough, on his third cast he caught a good size Walleye. What could have been another frustrating day of fishing turned into a successful and memorable experience.
Credit unions believe in the cooperative principle of Cooperation Among Cooperatives. This principle is described in the following way: “Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.”
Together, Arizona’s credit unions are essential drivers of the state’s economic growth. In 2024, they generated $2.0 billion in economic impact. Here’s how credit unions have influenced Arizona’s economy:
- $3.6 million in charitable contributions supported by credit unions
- $194 million in financial benefits to credit union members
- $1.2 billion total income supported by credit unions
- 15,800 total jobs supported by credit unions
In October, Arizona credit unions will be celebrating the 3rd Annual Arizona Credit Union Week. I have been fortunate to be involved with these efforts since the beginning, when just 4 credit unions came together to celebrate the impact credit unions have on our communities. In year two we increased the number of credit unions participating to 11 and now have 18 engaged for year three.
We start the week off with a “Pay It Forward” focus. Credit unions will be in our communities supporting local businesses, picking up the tab for morning coffee, a warm meal, and even something sweet. As the number of credit unions has increased, so have the number of businesses we are able to support. This year’s lineup has expanded our reach across the state significantly.
The next day, we come together for a “Day of Service”, showcasing our support of local non-profits. This year we will have over 150 credit union employees volunteering with 6 non-profits that support the needs of underserved individuals in our communities. We will also be presenting donations to those organizations.
The following day is International Credit Union Day, and each credit union will celebrate and promote the impact that credit unions have around the world using this year’s theme of “Cooperation for a Prosperous World”. We will coordinate a social media campaign between our credit unions.
We wrap up the week by showing our dedication to financial education with a day of fun and learning. Local students will engage in exciting events, with the goal of teaching tomorrow’s leaders about the importance of financial literacy.
The unity that comes through cooperation among cooperatives is one of our superpowers. Let’s get creative and explore all the ways that we can combine our efforts to serve our members and communities.
