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Date: 7/5/2022
SPRINGFIELD – Freedom Credit Union celebrates their 100-year anniversary in July. For President and CEO Glenn Welch, the milestone marks a time for reflection on the enterprise’s growth and to look ahead at new developments.
“It is a pretty incredible achievement…Without the community, we wouldn’t exist,” said Welch in an interview with Reminder Publishing.
Freedom Credit Union initially opened in 1922 as the Western Massachusetts Telephone Workers Credit Union. The enterprise originally operated in an office space on Worthington Street before moving their central office to Main Street in 1978.
Over the years, Freedom Credit Union endured several expansions. In 2001, the credit union expanded its membership from telecommunications industry employees to anyone who lives or works in the Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin or Berkshire counties. After opening several branches throughout Western Mass., Freedom Credit Union started establishing their presence in the Hartford and Tolland counties of Connecticut, according to Welch.
“You always want to get services out to people,” said Welch. The enterprise also welcomed several mergers, including a 2019 union with West Springfield Federal Credit Union.
Freedom Credit Union offers banking services to businesses and people alike, which includes loans, investments and insurance. Since taking over as CEO in 2016, Welsh said an important objective of his remains making services more accessible and appealing for members. The credit union recently expanded its online services and opened a subscription service that provides customers discounts to local merchants.
“We had a lot of products and services already available, but it’s important for us to expand and stay connected with what our customers want…We hope the services will be helpful. If you can’t invest in technology, it’s difficult to continue expanding,” said Welch. The Freedom Credit CEO also announced that several new programs will be introduced when the 100-year anniversary commences.
As Freedom Credit Union grows, Welsh stressed the importance of giving back to the community. Welsh explained that Freedom Credit donated to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts throughout the coronavirus pandemic as issues of food insecurity became more apparent.
The enterprise also hosts weekly Friday charity days that acknowledge different local entities each week. Going forward, Walsh envisions Freedom Credit aiding Ukraine and local Ukrainian organizations as they deal with an invasion from Russia.
Readers interested in learning more about Freedom Credit Union can visit https://freedom.coop/.