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Alphonse Desjardins Awards

NWCUA_Awards2018

Last night we were recognized for the financial literacy education work we do in our community! Northwest Credit Union Association awarded us with not one, but two awards for our efforts – the Desjardins Youth and Adult Financial Education awards.

“Through partnerships with community organizations, Clackamas Federal Credit Union offered 47 classes to youth last year that taught banking, budgeting, credit building, and investing,” said Sharee Adkins, Executive Director of the Northwest Credit Union Foundation (NWCUF). “These are important life lessons that students don’t often get in their schools. Learning to budget early in life will help to take control of their finances and to make their own decisions about how much to save and how to spend wisely.”

In the adult education category, staff from Clackamas taught budgeting, identity theft prevention, how social security benefits work, and more in 24 separate classes taking place on a community college campus and at local community centers. Of the adult classes offered last year, half were taught in Spanish.

“Not only did these educational outreach programs help some of the students to complete high school education requirements, but they also connected students with the Matched Education Savings Account program, which helps families save for college, and provides some matching funds,” Adkins said.

In 2017, we taught more than 1,000 people, in English and Spanish, in Clackamas County. Our financial literacy volunteers put their hearts into helping individuals gain important skills by taking control of their finances. Financial literacy education is something we love at Clackamas, and while it is incredible to be recognized, it is even better to have a team that truly lives and breathes our mission every day: We work to improve people’s lives.

“I am so proud of our staff for winning both of the Desjardins awards this year,” said Clackamas President/CEO, Aaron Goff. “We are passionate about improving people’s lives in Clackamas County, and financial literacy education is some of the most important work we do to serve that mission. It is great to see that hard work recognized.”

This tremendous effort is also thanks to partnerships we have made all throughout our community in 2017: Financial Beginnings Oregon, Canby High School, Milwaukie High School, AntFarm Youth Services, Clackamas Community College, Clackamas WorkSource, The Canby Center, North Clackamas Chamber of Commerce, and Willamette View.