Premier Members Credit Union receives landmark recognition from Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition
PMCU stepping up to support new parents in organization, and across the Front Range
BOULDER, CO (April 17, 2023) — Premier Members Credit Union has received recognition from the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition as the state’s newest Lactation Friendly Workplace. PMCU is the largest Credit Union in Colorado to participate in the program, and the first to recognize the entirety of their branches. All branches have received certificates with this designation.
PMCU worked with Boulder County Public Health and Jefferson County Public Health to assess their operations and come up with an innovative solution to convert a room of any size into an equitable, private space for employees to express breast milk. Together, the teams created what amounts to a “Traveling Lactation Kit” that includes a portable pump, furniture, privacy screens, and other amenities. The kits and upgrades to their existing lactation spaces were paid for entirely by mini grants from Advancing Breastfeeding Colorado.
“Knowing that almost two-thirds of new parents stop lactation earlier than they want to because of a lack of support was a significant motivating factor in working with this program,” said Garrett Chappell, Sr Sustainability Specialist for Premier Members CU. “We have a responsibility as an employer to support our new parents and connect them to the resources they need to ensure their own health, as well as the health of their newborns. This is a key tenant of the social side of Sustainability, and core to our success as an organization.”
By solidifying this recognition, PMCU has affirmed the legal rights of their employees to have access to these spaces and encourages their fellow Financial Institutions to get creative and find ways to support their new parent workforce using the resources of the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition and Advancing Breastfeeding Colorado.
About Premier Members Credit Union
Premier Members Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial institution dedicated to providing financial solutions to individuals and businesses in Colorado’s Front Range. With more than 77,000 members, $1.7 billion in assets, and 19 retail branches, Premier Members is a leader in the credit union industry. In addition to being at the forefront of the industry in sustainable business practices, Premier Members takes pride in giving back to the communities it serves, supporting a wide variety of partnerships with charitable and sustainable organizations like Community Foundation Boulder County, Eco Cycle, Impact on Education, Jack’s Solar Garden, United Way, Westminster Public Schools Foundation, and others. In 2021, Premier Members Credit Union was awarded first place in the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award and has also been recognized as a Civic 50 Honoree each year since 2020, where the credit union was recognized as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in Colorado. To learn more, visit pmcu.org
About Advancing Breastfeeding in Colorado: The Advancing Breastfeeding in Colorado (ABC) project seeks to reduce health disparities and improve overall health across the state by creating a seamless system of breastfeeding support for parents and families at their jobs, in childcare settings and medical offices, and in their communities. The ABC team includes Boulder County Public Health, Public Health Institute at Denver Health, Jefferson County Public Health, Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties (formerly Tri-County Health Department), and the Colorado Health Institute, which provides evaluation and project management. ABC is supported by a grant from the state’s Cancer, Cardiovascular and Chronic Pulmonary Disease (CCPD) Grants Program. Work began in 2018 and will continue through 2023. To learn more visit https://coloradohealthinstitute.org/research/advancing-breastfeeding-colorado
