The theme for this year’s International Credit Union Day is “Cooperative Finance: A Steady Signal in a Noisy World.” Anyone who has tried to compare loan terms, savings accounts, and a dozen fee schedules in one sitting will get the appeal.
Breakwater Federal Credit Union is marking the occasion with a full week of events, October 12–16.
About the Day Itself
International Credit Union Day falls on the third Thursday of October and has since 1948. This year, October 15 is its 78th anniversary. The day recognizes the history and impact of credit unions and financial cooperatives worldwide, and this year’s theme points to their role as stable, trusted partners when money decisions feel more complicated than they should.
The week also includes Credit Union Kind Day, and Breakwater is inviting the community to join in.
The key difference from a bank is ownership. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives owned by the members they serve. There are no outside shareholders to pay, so value goes back to members through competitive rates, fewer or lower fees, and services built around their financial well-being. The shorthand for this is “people helping people.”
Kicking Off With CU Kind Day
The week opens with Credit Union Kind Day, a multi-state day of kindness and community service. At Breakwater, employees each choose how they want to give back.
Last year’s choices covered a lot of ground:
- Surprising 20 local families with Walmart gift cards
- Providing lunch for local teachers
- Giving home health nurses gift cards to buy supplies
- Collecting and donating winter gear
- Supporting local families facing hardship
- Contributing to organizations that help older adults, animals, education, and other community needs
Breakwater also spent about $300 on financial literacy books, which went into Little Free Libraries around the community.
A Cash Drawing for Members
Members can enter a special International Credit Union Day drawing, sponsored by the U.P. Chapter of Credit Unions. Stop by the Breakwater lobby and submit an entry through Friday, October 16. Nothing to buy and no special requirements. Being a member is enough.
The U.P. Chapter has set aside $1,500 for members across the Upper Peninsula: one $500 prize, one $300 prize, and seven $100 prizes. Breakwater will randomly pick one entry from its in-branch drawing and send it to the chapter for the final drawing on October 22.
Lunch, Locally
On Tuesday, October 13, Breakwater employees will take part in the 15th annual CU Lunch Local, a nationwide push for credit unions and their staff to eat at locally owned restaurants. The reasoning is simple: dollars spent locally tend to stay local, supporting businesses, jobs, and the people who live there.
What’s Coming Next
All week, Breakwater plans to share more about the credit union movement, the cooperative values behind it, and its own story. That includes its history, its impact around the area, and the people and relationships that shaped it. Serving the Copper Country since 1952, Breakwater says it believes a financial institution can do more than handle transactions. Watch its channels and lobby during Credit Union Week for those stories, and for the October 22 drawing results.