September 2020 (Owatonna, MN): HomeTown Credit Union has been honored with a 2020 Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award. The award, sponsored by the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), recognizes leadership within the credit union movement on behalf of adult financial literacy.

HomeTown was honored for their overall commitment to financial education and specifically their Virtual Lunch and Learn program. This video series was launched to provide information on financial topics ranging from budgeting and savings, to credit scores and reports, the basics around getting a loan, understanding credit cards, fraud safety and more. Among the videos were also interviews with community partners on a variety of topics relating to financial literacy as a way to share even more knowledge with both members and the community.

The winning entry will advance HomeTown to the national competition, where it will compete with financial education projects from credit unions in other states.

The award is named in honor of Alphonse Desjardins, the founder of the North American credit union movement, who established the first “caisse populaire” (people’s bank) in Quebec in 1900, and helped establish the first American credit union in New Hampshire in 1909. Desjardins was an ardent believer in the value of teaching children to save, and he promoted the idea of in-school savings programs.

Starting as a not-for-profit financial cooperative in 1974, HomeTown Credit Union today serves Minnesotans who live, work, attend school or worship in Dodge, Rice, Steele, and Waseca Counties. The Credit Union has grown over the years to be the strong, solid financial partner for more than 19,000 members with 5 locations, and more than $190 million in assets.

Click here for more information on all of HomeTown's Financial Education Services.