Monday, November 2, 2009 North Chicago, IL – Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU) with branches throughout Lake County in Antioch, Gurnee, Libertyville, North Chicago, Round Lake Beach, Spring Grove, Waukegan and Zion, has won First Place in the state Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award competition in the over $500 million asset category as recently announced by the Illinois Credit Union League.
The Dora Maxwell program identifies credit unions that demonstrate the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People,” and honors the work of credit unions for external activities in the community. While Great Lakes Credit Union participates in community events year-round, the Dora Maxwell program limits entries to one extraordinary project with well-defined, measurable goals. GLCU’s submission for 2009 involved its unprecedented leadership and fundraising efforts on behalf of 200 FOCUS (Families in Our Community United for Success) 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in North Chicago and their families. FOCUS is a Lake County Health Department program providing innovative youth development over a four-year period focused on abstinence education programming.
GLCU will now compete against each state’s first place entry at the national level.
Dora Maxwell was an early credit union pioneer, and was one of the original signers of the Credit Union National Association’s (CUNA) constitution. In addition to organizing hundreds of credit unions, she developed volunteer organizer clubs and worked with organizations on behalf of the poor. Credit unions are seen as forces for social and economic progress and as a way “to demonstrate the practicality of the brotherhood of man.” In following the credit union philosophy, GLCU proudly participates in over 50 community events each year.
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