WICHITA, KS (May 15, 2013) A group of Kansas credit unions wanted to live up to the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” On May 14, in seven locations across Kansas, eleven Kansas credit unions surprised consumers with gift cards, cash, free coffee or a free lunch. It was part of the Kansas Credit Union Association’s Make a Difference campaign.
Coffee houses and cafes in Emporia, Ness City, Norton, Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita were the sites for the “It’s On Us” Make a Difference event. Many of the coffee houses and cafes were locally owned. Some locations covered the early morning crowd, beginning at 6:30 a.m., while others covered the lunch hour.
“It’s the simple gestures that mean the most,” said Susan Dyer, Communications Director for the Kansas Credit Union Association. “We wanted to brighten the day of Kansas residents, and we hope they will pass it on and do something nice for someone else.”
Each location had $1000 to use in the form of cash or gift cards. Depending on the location, people were surprised with a gift card, cash or a free purchase of coffee or lunch. Between all the locations, approximately 1200 consumers were reached.
Several credit unions teamed up at the same location. The credit unions who participated were:
- Emporia State Federal Credit Union, Emporia, KS
- United Credit Union, Ness City
- United Northwest Federal Credit Union, Norton KS
- Mainstreet Credit Union, Kansas City, KS
- Reliance Credit Union, Kansas City KS
- Educational Credit Union, Topeka
- Quest Credit Union Topeka KS
- New Century Credit Union, Topeka KS
- EquiShare Credit Union, Wichita, KS
- Mid American Credit Union, Wichita, KS
- Wichita Federal Credit Union, Wichita KS
“This is the perfect way for credit unions to illustrate the philosophy of ‘people helping people’, said Dyer. “It’s why credit unions exist…to serve their members. And it’s a way for credit unions to show they are dedicated to serving their communities.”
Response from the public included lots of “thank yous” and “wow, this is great!” both in person and via social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Some hugs were exchanged and some consumers asked “what’s a credit union?” This gave the credit union staff a chance to explain how credit unions differ from traditional banks. Some customers were already credit union members, and mentioned that “events like this” is why they use a credit union.
This is the second in a series of events. The first event was a gas giveaway, held in October 2012. The third event will be in October 2013, during International Credit Union Week.
About the Kansas Credit Union Association
The Kansas Credit Union Association is the trade association for credit unions in Kansas, serving more than 600,000 Kansas consumers. Established in 1934, the Association’s mission remains the same – to assist member credit unions in meeting the needs of their members and potential members to further the success of the credit union movement. Strategies center on this mission: to unify the credit union movement, provide operational assistance to credit unions, promote growth and advocate on behalf of the membership.