Great Lakes Credit Union wins award

NORTH CHICAGO -- Great Lakes Credit Union has won first place in the state Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award competition, according to the Illinois Credit Union League.

GLCU's submission for 2009 involved its leadership and fund-raising efforts on behalf of 200 FOCUS (Families in Our Community United for Success) sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students in North Chicago and their families. FOCUS is a Lake County Health Department program providing youth development over a four-year period focused on abstinence education programming.

GLCU, which competed in the $500 million asset category, now competes against each state's first place entry at the national level.

The Dora Maxwell program identifies credit unions that demonstrate the credit union philosophy of "People Helping People," and honors the work of credit unions for external activities in the community. Maxwell was an early credit union pioneer, and in addition to organizing hundreds of credit unions, she developed volunteer organizer clubs and worked with organizations on behalf of the poor.

GLCU participates in more than 50 community events annually from its branches in Antioch, Gurnee, Libertyville, North Chicago, Round Lake Beach, Spring Grove, Waukegan and Zion,