The Juntos Avanzamos (Together We Advance) designation is awarded to credit unions that are committed to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant communities.

MEMBERS1st Community Credit Union earned this designation in December 2022, and the proclamation ceremony was held to celebrate the milestone at noon at the 13th St District – West End Park, Marshalltown, as the opening event during the community’s annual Festival Cultural.

The ceremony began with greetings from MEMBERS1st Community Credit Union’s Training Coordinator Brenda Rodriguez and CEO Nick Tonelli.

“Credit unions were created to be able to accomplish more together, and this designation is a great way to be recognized for the work that we are doing in support of the Hispanic and immigrant communities and the program will help serve as a roadmap in our future efforts to best serve everyone in our community,” said MEMBERS1st CEO Nick Tonelli.

To receive the Juntos Avanzamos designation, credit unions must be committed to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant consumers – helping them navigate the U.S. financial system and providing safe, affordable and relevant financial services. The credit union must employ bilingual and culturally competent staffing, and the business must be willing to accept alternative forms of government issued photo IDs and those with an ITIN number. The program also has a check list of items to measure other ways the credit union is accessible to Hispanic and immigrant consumers.

The ceremony included speeches from Joa LaVille, Youth Services, Marshalltown Public Library, and Maria Gonzalez, Immigrant Allies of Marshalltown, as well as Jaimie Miller, Vice President, Iowa Credit Union League. Followed by a speech from credit union member Pedro Rodriguez and the presentation of the Juntos Avanzamos award by Lcdo. Rene Vargas Martinez, Director – Puerto Rico Network, Inclusiv.

Closing words were delivered by MEMBERS1st Board Chair Lami Lichtenberg. “We invite you, our community, to come and see what we have to offer and how we might help you realize your financial hopes and dreams.”