TTCU receives national "Juntos Avanzamos" designation
TTCU was recognized for their outreach to the Hispanic community with the national Juntos Avanzamos (Together We Advance) designation by Inclusiv. Representatives from the Hispanic community and TTCU gathered
to raise a flag on Oct. 21.
"TTCU has made an intentional effort to reach out to the Hispanic community in Oklahoma," President and CEO Tim Lyons said. "Fully 10 percent of our staff members are bilingual, and this designation today is another important milestone in our outreach effort."
The Juntos Avanzamos designation is awarded to credit unions that are committed to serving Hispanic and immigrant communities by providing education and services that improve financial well-being. Currently, 14 percent of Hispanic households in the United States are unbanked and an additional 29 percent are underbanked, which can leave those families vulnerable to predatory financial institutions.
A Pew Study from 2012 found that many payday lenders specifically target immigrant communities. TTCU's Hispanic Initiative launched four years ago to help meet the need for trustworthy financial services and education.
Currently, the Eastland, Midtown, Tahlequah, Southeast and North Pointe branches have bilingual staff, and TTCU is actively recruiting additional bilingual employees.
"On behalf of the growing Inclusiv/Juntos Avanzamos network, we congratulate TTCU, a member of the Cornerstone Credit Union League, the program's founder, for making this public commitment to empowering the Hispanic community," said Pablo deFilippi, senior vice president of membership and network engagement at Inclusiv. "This designation will open the doors of opportunity and financial security for Latinos in the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma."
