KEKAHA — Estelita Manglinong has been a member of the Kekaha Federal Credit Union since she arrived here from the Philippines in 1987.
“This is my hometown,” Manglinong said Thursday. “They’re good to me. I’ve been a member from the time I came here.”
She was just one of the customers visiting the credit union that is a division of Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union on the occasion of International Credit Union Day.
The visit prompted a host of gifts being presented by the credit union’s staff, as well as an extra dose of aloha from the credit union that’s the westernmost credit union in the United States.
Kekaha Federal Credit Union joined other credit unions on Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i and around the globe in celebrating International Credit Union Day on the third Thursday of October.
Dana Hazelton of the Kaua‘i Government Employees Federal Credit Union was at the Kaua‘i Fire Department Waimea fire station along with other dignitaries to celebrate the blessing of a new fire truck. She represented the Friends of the Kaua‘i Fire Service that also has the volunteer services of KGEFCU President and CEO Monica Belz.
The KGEFCU branches in Lihu‘e and Kilauea provided hand sanitizers from a refill station featuring sanitizer created by the Koloa Rum Company during the pandemic when everything shut down. The use of the Koloa Rum Company product offers support to the Kaua‘i-based company while providing a gift of appreciation to the credit union’s members and community friends.
International Credit Union Day is a chance to reflect on the history and achievements of credit unions, and to raise awareness about what it means for members around the world to have a credit union as their financial partner, said a statement from the Hawai‘i Credit Union League.
This year’s ICU theme, “Building Financial Health for a Brighter Tomorrow,” reflects the way credit unions contribute to a brighter future by working to improve members’ financial well-being, especially during these unprecedented times, the HCUL said. The 73rd anniversary of ICU Day featured celebrations and festivities for the 57,000 credit union members on Kaua‘i.
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
