Southwest Louisiana Credit Union has helped hundreds of area students start off the 2023-24 school with shoes, supplies, food and more.
Southwest Louisiana Credit Union hosted and attended back-to-school community events; gave out food, shoes, and other essentials; and partnered with local organizations to distribute additional school-related items.
Southwest Louisiana Credit Union gave away more than 200 backpacks to children at SWLA Center for Health Services’ Back-to-School Supply Giveaway. It also got parents signed up for free school shoes for their children.
Southwest Louisiana Credit Union expanded its “Shoes for School” promotion for 2023-24. Parents could receive up to two free pairs of shoes for their children if they became a credit union member, opened an account, or got a credit card. Southwest Louisiana Credit Union signed up more than 50 new accounts — more than doubling last year’s total — and gave out more than 100 pairs of Nike shoes.
The free shoes — plus more than 200 snack sacks — were given out at Southwest Louisiana Credit Union’s second annual Back-to-School Community Resource Fair at the SWLA Center for Health Services. Free pizza and snow cones also were served. Fifteen community organizations also took part, offering free school-related items. They included Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA, the Calcasieu Parish Public Library and the Calcasieu Parish Housing Counseling Agency.
Also, at its “After the Bell” event, the West 18th Street Branch in Lake Charles gave out more that 100 backpacks filled with snacks to children, along with free snow cones for all. Southwest Louisiana Credit Union also ran a promotion in which people could earn $100 by opening a new checking account at that branch.
The credit union also served 750-plus free snow cones to families at South Beauregard Lower Elementary School’s open house to give the new school year a sweet start.
McNeese State University students also got special focus. As part of Howdy Rowdy Welcome Week, Southwest Louisiana Credit Union gave out more than 150 Lunchables to students and more than 200 bottles of detergent — and two had drawings for coffee gift baskets, including a blue Keurig. Southwest Louisiana Credit Union is the official credit union for McNeese students.
“Events like these are at the center of our credit union's goals," said Makeitta Citizen, director of community engagement. “Interacting with the community in this way reminds us of our ‘why.’ It demonstrates that what we do is so much more than deposits and loans. It’s about providing for the needs of the people in our area and building a reputation for serving and caring for our communities.”