ALPENA — Through the generosity of its membership and its employees, Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union (AAACU) donated $22,299.14 throughout 2019 to various local organizations.

Each year, each of AAACU’s seven office locations vote on organizations their office would like to fundraise for each quarter throughout the year, and all locations choose one organization they would like to group fundraise for during one quarter of the year. In 2019, all office locations elected to fundraise for the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan Youth Advisory Council through the third quarter, donating $3,853.43.

AAACU is proud to support 18 different local organizations and charities to help build stronger communities throughout 2019. If you have an organization that you would like to submit for fundraising, please visit your local office location or email ajakubcin@aaacu.com.

Membership is available to individuals that reside, work, own property, attend school, or worship in the state of Michigan.

AAACU members win over $11,500 in 2019

In 2019, Save to Win, a nationwide program, awarded $11,725 in prize money to members of AAACU.

Save to Win is a prize-linked savings product designed to help low- to moderate-income members improve their financial situation and create positive saving habits. Save to Win was developed in 2009 for Michigan Credit Unions attracting more than 10,000 accounts in the first year. The program has since expanded to a national level, adding 21 new states to the program.

AAACU members have been winning big since the start of the program. In 2010, an AAACU member won the grand prize of $100,000. Since then, the prize structure has been divided up, adding more monthly prize winners and multiple quarterly prize winners. In 2019, AAACU had fourquarterly prize winners, one winning $5,000, one winning $1,000, and two winning $500.

In addition to the national prize drawing, AAACU gives away $300 monthly exclusively to AAACU members who participate in the Save to Win Program.

If you would like to participate in Save to Win, join a participating credit union, such as AAACU, and open a 12-month Save to Win certificate with a minimum deposit of $25. For every $25 deposit made into the Save to Win certificate, a member will receive one entry (up to 10 entries) each month into the drawing for monthly prizes.

Effective Dec. 1, 2019, AAACU has rolled back its Overdraft Privilege (ODP) and Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fee from $19.53 to $17.50.

AAACU’s action of lowering these fees for a second time will continue to provide more dollars back into members’ accounts and aid in helping members save over $350,000 in 2020.

When AAACU lowered their fees in December 2018 members saved more than $194,000 in just 12 months. The credit union offers fees that are nearly $16 lower than the national average.