This is what happens when small credit unions think big

Some of their best ideas come to them after hours, when the halls of the credit union are quiet and they’re free to think beyond the day-to-day business of serving members. That’s precisely when Dustin Fuller and Deke Alexander, executives for Living in Fulfillment Everyday Federal Credit Union in Denton, Texas, began to wonder aloud about a credit union mission trip.

No strangers to the life-changing impact of church-sponsored mission trips, Fuller, LiFE’s CEO, and Alexander, the cooperative’s chief lending officer, envisioned immediate potential. Not only would a trip like that impact countless lives in poverty stricken countries, it could also create a completely immersive and fulfilling experience for both staff and the credit union’s members.

“Credit unions have an outstanding opportunity to change the employee experience that goes far beyond the 9-to-5,” said Alexander. “As employers, we’re often focused on tangible employee benefits, like dental and vision care or sales incentives and PTO. Yet, creating a culture that allows employees to improve lives in villages thousands of miles away – that’s hugely beneficial. You then transform everything. Suddenly a run-of-the-mill transaction at the teller window brings about the realization that serving this member allows our credit union to serve someone else in the third world.”

The Plan Takes Shape

That night, before the after-hours brainstorm had concluded, the two solidified a plan to coordinate two mission trips in two years. The first will take place in the Dominican Republic this November; the second in Mexico during 2018.

For each mission trip, LiFE will partner with area churches experienced in the local cultures and versed in the specific needs of the people. Their focus will be on helping villages gain access to clean drinking water. They will also work to develop longer-term relationships with the villagers, many of whom Alexander says have access to Facebook, affording LiFE staff the opportunity to maintain those connections once back in the states.

Engaging LiFE Members in the Mission

Beyond employees, Fuller and Alexander, both of whom have participated in several mission trips to the Dominican Republic, are also intent on bringing the credit union’s members into the initiative. After working with Coopera to learn more about the credit union’s Hispanic membership, LiFE executives learned a significant portion of the member base has ties to the Mexican culture. Therefore, Fuller and Alexander believe, the second of the planned mission trips will be particularly important to the membership.

“Our first mission to the Dominican Republic will include credit union members who know the trip and the culture extremely well,” said Alexander. “They will serve as guides to help train our staff, some of whom will actually lead the second trip to Mexico.

“We’d love to open up the trips to even more members in the future because we see it as a way to bond employees and members over something other than financial matters,” continued Alexander. “This will create a more intimate understanding of what can really happen when we put our hands and feet to work together. There’s a multiplying effect.”

To raise funds for the mission trips, LiFE is coordinating a golf outing called the Impact Life Golf Tournament Oct. 14, 2017 in McKinney, Texas. With the money raised, the credit union and its partner churches will buy the water filters they need to install once in the villages.

The Multiplying Effect of Living Our Purpose

“When you think about it, these trips strike right at the heart of what we do,” said Alexander. “For us, LiFE is about ‘Living in Fulfillment Every Day.’ A big piece of that is helping our employees see the fruits of their labor. We want to show our staff what it really means to make an impact, and to be a blessing to others.

“Our hope is this will inspire other small credit unions to think big,” said Alexander. “We want everyone in the movement to see it’s possible to get outside the 9-to-5, outside the SEG group, even outside their local communities. Let’s go on an adventure together, make lives better and come back changed people.”

For more information concerning supporting this event, email info@lifefcu.com.