GECU Wins Dejardins Community Service Award

Cornerstone League extends hearty congratulations to GECU who has won the Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award for the region. Cornerstone will honor GECU with a plaque at the IMPACT 2022: Annual Meeting and Council Forum in Grapevine, Texas, April 20–22, 2022.

CUNA created the Desjardins program to recognize leadership within the credit union movement on behalf of financial literacy for all ages, though the awards are for adults and youth separately. GECU won first place in the category of “more than $1 billion in assets” for its GECU 2020 financial education efforts.

In its encapsulation of the projects for which it was awarded, GECU described adapting to the pandemic to deliver essential, bilingual financial education through virtual seminars, workshops, one-on-one counseling, online videos, programs, and community presentations for adults, employees, and students of all ages. Some of their educational efforts include:

• The Survival Guide for a Secure Financial Future seminar and GECU Reality Fair blend education with experiential learning that makes concepts easy to understand when put into practice by elementary and college students.
• The bilingual First-time Homebuyers and Foreclosure Prevention workshops weigh each topic for the individual, making an impact on our diverse group of attendees.
• GECU Investment and Trust Services had record attendance at free virtual financial education seminars such as Income for Life, Social Security, and Three Transitions to Retirement as the community looked for financial solutions during the pandemic.
• Hundreds of adult and student volunteers were trained and certified by the IRS to help families with free tax assistance through VITA and the new document drop-off process that was safe, easy, and convenient.
• The participants of the Student Board of Directors by GECU gained leadership skills, financial knowledge, civic responsibility, and more through virtual classes with GECU’s financial coaches and guest speakers.

GECU reported that their efforts to provide more financial education and outreach was extended to 24,322 people.

The winning entry from GECU in the Cornerstone region has now moved to the national judging stage. If chosen, the national winners will be recognized at the CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C., Feb. 27–March 2, 2022.