Why do we love our members? Let us count the ways

Everyone has their own way of showing they love someone.

Some compose symphonies or sonnets. Some bestow gifts such as flowers, jewelry or even the world’s most expensive toilet seat. Some invent gadgets to make their loved ones’ lives easier—like the garbage disposal.

This Valentine’s Day, we’d like to express our love for our members in a language we use every day: numbers. It’s impossible to measure your importance to us or quantify the support you provide, but there are a few numbers we find pretty inspiring.

How do our members brighten our lives? Let us count the ways:

1.2 million smiles and hellos

We’re continually amazed at the outpouring of friendliness from members who drop by our branches throughout the day. Your smiles and cheerful greetings—even when you’re having a rough time—are our reason for coming to work every morning.

Even if we don’t see you in person, we know you’re there. Whenever you tap on our app, log in to your online banking account or read our blog, it’s like sending us a virtual smile.

Did you know that smiling makes us happier, boosts our immune system and reduces stress? It also stimulates our brain as much as eating 2,000 chocolate bars or winning $25,000 in cash. In a single year, we get more than a million face-to-face visits from our members. That’s a lot of smiles aimed in our direction.

631 messages of support

We all need feedback to help us grow. To us, there’s nothing more valuable than honest feedback from our members. So when we asked you to share your stories with us, we were touched by the huge volume of responses we received—a staggering 99 percent of which were positive.  

Whether you send them by email or deliver them in person at one of our branches, your kind words make our day. Praise uplifts the human spirit and prompts the brain to release feel-good chemicals. It also makes 78 percent of people more motivated at work and has the same impact on job satisfaction as getting a small raise.

Our members understand what a difference positivity makes. We see the way your kindness ripples out into the world, affecting everyone around you—including us—and we love you for it.

998 emotional journeys                               

We get to be there for a lot of our members’ milestones. Buying their first car. Closing on their first home. Starting their own business. For many of our youngest members, we’ve even had the privilege of providing their first savings account.

We love being a part of your big moments. In a single year, for example, we get to walk with as many as 1,000 families on their homeownership journey, sharing their excitement as they start a new chapter in their lives.

We value the small moments, too—all the day-to-day transactions that keep you moving toward your goals.

138,840 family members

To us, our members are family. We enjoy getting to know you, and we always look forward to seeing you again. When you come to us for help solving a problem or meeting a need, it makes us feel like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.

And, just like family, you’re always there when we need you—like when we asked for help collecting school supplies for low-income children or toys for the pediatric unit of a local hospital. You answered by lavishing us with donations to help propel us toward our goal.

Your enthusiasm keeps us energized. We really dig our community, and we love how much you dig it, too.

Happy Valentine’s Day from the OCCU team!