Alliance Catholic Credit Union (ACCU) has announced that it has earned the prestigious national Juntos Avanzamos (Together We Advance) designation from Inclusiv. This recognition is a national mark of excellence for credit unions that demonstrate a deep commitment to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant communities with safe, affordable, and relevant financial services and education.
To celebrate this significant achievement, Alliance Catholic Credit Union hosted a proclamation ceremony attended by an Inclusiv representative, community partners, and staff. The event highlighted the credit union’s mission-driven dedication to financial inclusion and empowerment for the Hispanic community across Michigan.
”We are very honored to have earned this prestigious award and this national designation from Inclusiv,” said Rob Grech, President and CEO of Alliance Catholic Credit Union. “This designation reflects our unwavering commitment to providing Hispanic and immigrant communities with safe, affordable, and relevant financial services, along with financial education. We started this journey several years ago rooted in the simple philosophy of People Helping People”.
The Juntos Avanzamos designation is awarded to credit unions that undergo a rigorous evaluation of their operations, including account opening procedures, lending practices, marketing strategies, partnerships, and community outreach. ACCU demonstrated a strong commitment to serving Latinos throughout Michigan with tailored offerings of products and services, such as ITIN loans and community financial wellness programs. In addition, over 25% of their employees are now bilingual.
Megan Bolado, Director of Learning and Inclusion at Inclusiv, formally presented the designation. “This recognition highlights Alliance Catholic Credit Union’s commitment to serving Hispanic and Latino communities in this state,” Bolado said. “This designation enables credit unions to identify and eliminate barriers that keep these communities from accessing mainstream financial services, thus protecting them from fringe financial services and predatory lenders. Alliance Catholic Credit Union has demonstrated a strong commitment to serving Latinos in Michigan.”
The success of ACCU’s mission is reinforced by their strong community partnerships. Roberto Nicolas Vazquez, Consul of Mexico in Detroit, praised the credit union’s efforts. “The cooperation we have with Alliance Catholic has been very successful. We work together to bring financial education to the community, helping them learn how to open accounts and build credit. This partnership is vital to avoiding the financial tragedies that occur when people lack access to banking.”
Other key community partners spoke about the impact of the collaboration during the announcement program.
Evelyn Najera -Duran, Executive Director of La Casa Guadalupana, noted, “Alliance Catholic was the
first financial institution to believe in what we do and to invest in our students. Thanks to their financial literacy workshops, many of our students have learned how to budget, save, and even start building their credit, skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.”
Luz Acosta, Director of La Casa Amiga Community Programs at Catholic Charities of Southeast
Michigan, shared, “Alliance Catholic Credit Union was the very first financial institution to believe in our
‘Latinos in Finance’ program. It is not just about offering products in Spanish — it is about building trust, providing guidance, and treating every person with respect regardless of where they come from. Tonight’s recognition is well deserved, and it gives our community hope.”
Alliance Catholic Credit Union joins a growing network of institutions committed to advancing financial inclusion nationwide by building economic opportunity in underserved communities.
Alliance Catholic Credit Union serves the Catholic community throughout the state of Michigan. There are 12 branch locations, including Allen Park, Dearborn, Farmington Hills, Madonna University, Rochester, Shelby Township, Sterling Heights, Southwest Detroit, Taylor, Troy, West Bloomfield, and the University of Detroit Mercy.
About Alliance Catholic Credit Union
Chartered in 1956, Alliance Catholic Credit Union is a $644 million financial cooperative serving over 32,000 member owners. Any person of the Catholic faith living, working, worshipping or attending school in the state of Michigan, any person who is a student, faculty or alumni of a Catholic University in the State of Michigan, any person who is an employee or pensioner of a Catholic healthcare system located in the state of Michigan or any person who is a member of Alliance Catholic Foundation is eligible to become a member of Alliance Catholic Credit Union. Alliance Catholic Credit Union actively supports Catholic schools, parishes and organizations.
