It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air. At Oakland University Credit Union (OU Credit Union), we love helping our members. For the past 81 years, we have provided financial opportunities to help them make their dreams come true. Here are just some of the ways we show love to our members.

On Thursday, October 18, 2018, OU Credit Union will, along with more than 56,000 credit unions around the world, celebrate International Credit Union Day (ICU Day) and recognize the philosophy and achievements of the credit union movement. This year’s theme, “Find Your Platinum Lining,” combines the traditional 70th anniversary gift of platinum with a play on the saying “every cloud has a silver lining.”

The World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU) was created to help establish and maintain viable credit union movements. Today, more than 235 million people are served by credit unions in 109 countries and six continents. This year’s ICU Day theme emphasizes the credit union movement’s loyalty to its members and its mission to provide them financial support and guidance.

Plan to stop by any OU Credit Union branch this week for a free member gift in celebration of ICU Week. On Thursday, October 18, ICU Day, a special free member appreciation gift will be available in all OU Credit Union branches. Help us celebrate OU Credit Union’s mission of providing superior service while assisting members to achieve financial security, their goals, and ultimately, their dreams for more than 80 years. 

Giving back to our community is something we all take pride in here at the Credit Union. One of the many ways we gave back in 2017 is through our yearlong charity campaign, during which we raised funds and volunteered for five local charities: Many Hands, Capital Area Humane Society, The Firecracker Foundation, Stiggy’s Dogs, and Capital Area United Way. Throughout the past year, employees raised $170,267 for these charity partners, respectively donating $34,053 to each organization. So how did employees raise all of that money? Here are a few of the ways we fundraised and volunteered our time to support five charities.

This year was full of many exciting product and service enhancements at OU Credit Union! Let’s take a look at our 2016 year in review to see some of the highlights.

On Tuesday, November 29, 2016, the Credit Union celebrated two grand openings to ceremoniously introduce our new branches located in Clarkston, Michigan, and Ortonville, Michigan. We were able to welcome these two additional locations as a result of a merger with former Clarkston Brandon Community Credit Union (CBCCU). Both of the new branches are dual-branded as both MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) and OU Credit Union, a trade name of MSUFCU.

Did you know MSUFCU was originally founded in November 1937 by a group of MSU professors seeking a safe alternative to banking in an effort to help campus employees after the Great Depression? In fact, during the first few years, the Credit Union was operated from a desk drawer in the Administrative Building on MSU’s campus!

As a Credit Union employee, I love that my employer makes giving back to the community a priority. From January 2016 through June 2016, Credit Union employees focused our fundraising efforts to support Small Talk Children’s Assessment Center (Small Talk). During this six-month campaign, our Charity Committee set a goal to raise $75,000 to help Small Talk positively impact children in our community.

The United Way campaign at the Credit Union kicked off last week on July 1. I am especially excited for this year’s campaign because not only will I be able to help give back to our community with my fellow co-workers, but this will be my first time being a part of the Credit Union’s United Way committee!

You can keep track of your account from with MoneyLine, ComputerLine, and the OUCU Mobile app, but now there’s a new way to monitor your account: eAlerts.

At the Credit Union, we answer all member calls at our headquarters. Over 40,000 calls every month go through the Call Center. This week, let's take a look behind the scenes to see what goes on when you call in! (Plus, I dove into the Credit Union archive to find some cool old photos.)

Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on the things in our lives we are thankful for! This year, I am thankful I work at an organization that cares so much about the local community.