Purdue Federal Credit Union hosts 6th annual community day in Crown Point

Purdue Federal Credit Union (Purdue Federal) knows a thing or two about building a community you can rely on, a sustained effort from the organization that goes beyond its business practices and permeates into the communities it serves.

On Saturday, October 3, Purdue Federal hosted its 6th annual Community  Day at its newest Northwest Indiana Branch in Crown Point. Just off Broadway, Purdue Federal employees staged a day filled with family-friendly activities and community booths.

The organization and its employees put community first. This event was evidence of the commitment to bettering the lives of the communities it serves. Whether you are a young kid wanting to open your first-ever savings account, or a new family needing loan assistance in the purchase of your first home, Purdue Federal  is your family’s trusted source for guidance, education, and financial assistance.

Unlike standard banks, Purdue Federal is a member-owned cooperative. Its origin story dates back to West Lafayette in 1969, when its first location was a broom closet, and Board Chairman Dr. Bledsoe kept his financial records in an old, blue cigar box.

Today, the credit union has blossomed into a more than $2 billion institution, serving more than 114,000 members nationwide, receiving awards like the “Thrift Honor Award,” and earning the Region’s trust through its competitive, progressive, and community-focused approach to financial education.

While Purdue Federal is relatively new to the Region, it is wasting no time in earning trust and business.

Darrick Weeks, the current President and CEO, succeeded his longtime friend Bob Falk, and is now leading the organization to new heights, saying his emphasis on community aligns closely with Purdue Federal’s outlook and made the transition even smoother.

“We go as the community goes,” he said. “It’s about people helping people, coming together, and having fun, because raising the tide raises all boats,” Weeks said.

Prideful of his work, his community, and his team, Weeks appeared overjoyed by the event’s turnout, grateful for the support of Purdue Athletics, its fans, and rising basketball stars C.J. Cox and Daniel Jacobsen, who brought the crowd out for the meet-and-greet.

Be it Purdue Basketball or Purdue Federal– support for any institution starts young. Families and fellow Boilermakers lined up and patiently waited their turn to meet the players, get autographs, and wish the team well for the upcoming season.

Activities like color your own jersey, a bounce house, yard games, face painting, and the lucky duck booth from the Crown Point Community Library were just a few ways the event engaged folks of all ages. Kids, running on the sugar high from the free Kona Ice blue raspberry cones, trotted around the lawn, shot hoops, and enjoyed the beautiful day of community engagement.

“We’ve got phenomenal employees here at Purdue Federal, and hopefully the community will continue to see that,” said Weeks.

As a full-service financial institution, anything you can do with the big name banks, you can do locally with Purdue Federal Credit Union– investments, loans, lines of credit– and as Account VP of Business Development in Northwest Indiana,” Matt Scheuer says, “we do it better.”

Rest assured that any profit made goes back into the communities it serves through the development of new products, competitive rates on loans and deposits, taking care of its employees, and events like Saturday’s Community Day.

Outside of Crown Point, members have access to more than 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs and more than 5,500 shared branches through a nationwide credit union network.

“We actually have a larger ATM footprint than Chase, nationwide,” said Scheuer.

Purdue Federal  started as a campus credit union for Purdue employees, who felt traditional banks did not meet the needs of small-town workers; now it serves Hoosiers of all creeds, colleges, and fan bases. Their community-first approach makes for the best investment, long-term.

For more information on how to make more informed financial decisions with a partner you can trust, visit Purdue Federal Credit Union’s website at PURDUEFED.COM.