Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU), a not-for-profit financial cooperative headquartered in Northern Illinois, celebrated its Juntos Avanzamos designation on October 1 by hosting a proclamation ceremony at its Waukegan branch. The Juntos Avanzamos designation (a Spanish phrase that translates to “Together We Advance” in English) recognizes credit unions that are committed to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant communities.
Local media and members of the community were invited to attend and enjoy a mariachi band and food truck. The ceremony featured speeches from Steve Bugg, GLCU’s President and CEO, Pat Price, GLCU’s Board Chair, Ann Taylor, the Mayor of Waukegan, Tom Kane, the CEO of the Illinois Credit Union League, and Pablo DeFilippi, the Executive Vice President of Inclusiv, a group of community development credit unions that focus on financial inclusion and empowering underserved communities.
“GLCU is a leader not only in Illinois, but nationwide, in the programs they offer and the outreach they do in their communities,” said Kane. “Credit unions are in the unique position to make Hispanic inclusion a part of their growth strategy.”
Inclusiv is leading the expansion of Juntos Avanzamos credit unions nationwide in partnership with the Network of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals, Coopera, the Cornerstone Credit Union League, and other state leagues and associations across the U.S.
“In this country, more than 60 million people don’t have access to financial services,” DeFilippi said. “Getting people into the financial mainstream is in the best interest of us as a community. It makes communities safer and gives people tools to make their lives better.”
GLCU is one of five Juntos Avanzamos credit unions in Illinois and is the largest in the state. The credit union is dedicated to providing financial empowerment to everyone, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or immigration status.
“‘Juntos Avanzamos’ means ‘together we advance.’ Together, we move forward and make better communities,” Taylor said.
Over 15% of GLCU’s membership identifies as Hispanic. To better serve its diverse membership base, GLCU employs 50 certified bilingual staff members across the organization. GLCU also provides loan applications in Spanish, accepts ITIN, provides bilingual phone support with its AI-powered assistant Olive, and offers specialized products like the Quinceañera loan.