A place for children to rest

For Tiffany Black, there is one big difference between working at Members Choice Credit Union (MCCU) and her previous job at a savings and loan: The credit union truly looks out for members.

And in her position as marketing and business development manager at the $235 million asset credit union in Ashland, Ky., it’s clear Black has extended that care and concern to the entire community.

She initiated “MCCU@Work” to better engage community members and provide financial education. In 2018, MCCU garnered an honorable mention in CUNA’s Desjardins Awards for Financial Education for its work with young adults at an area college.

Black has increased school outreach. MCCU serves seven schools in two school districts, opening accounts and bringing financial education to thousands of K-12 students in eastern Kentucky.

Those efforts continue with online education available to both members and nonmembers, and the sponsorship of online financial literacy courses for students offered through Banzai.

These programs, Black notes, were in place prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We were a little ahead of the curve with the onset of COVID-19,” she says. “We used social media to heavily promote these offerings as well as online financial counseling.”

The credit union is now assisting people online who may have been uncomfortable with face-to-face counseling. Black is proud that nearly 50% of MCCU’s 55 staff members are certified or nearly certified as financial counselors.

In 2018, when Black learned 70 area children did not have beds to sleep in, she pulled together area credit unions and local businesses and partnered with the Ashland Build-A-Bed program and Morehead State University. Since then, the groups have provided nearly 400 beds for those in need thanks to Black’s organizing efforts and fundraising, including securing a $25,000 grant from State Farm Insurance.

“People think about donating clothes or toys but may not think about the fact that children are sleeping on the floor or on the couch,” she says. Ashland Build-A-Bed is now one of MCCU’s signature events, involving nearly 60 local organizations and 400 volunteers.

Black joined the credit union as a teller in 2010 and was named to her current position in 2017. With a strong interest in helping women succeed, she spearheaded the “MCCU Sees You,” an initiative that identifies and develops talent through training and mentorships.

To date, four female staff members have followed in her footsteps and joined the management team through this program.