Our founders knew there was a better way. The rest is history—and the best is yet to come.
By its broadest definition, the practice of banking has existed for as long as currency itself. People needed a way to store, manage and borrow money, and banking became one of society’s earliest and most lucrative forms of business.
It wasn’t until the early 20th century that an alternative, European-born concept began to take hold in the United States. It was a cooperative system, one where community members themselves organized and managed financial services for everyday people.
In 1922, when a group of Springfield-area telephone workers embraced this innovation and formed their own “credit union,” as the model had come to be known, our extraordinary story began.
Since our establishment as the Western Massachusetts Telephone Workers Credit Union on July 20, 1922, we have expanded and evolved as technology, trends and ways of life have transformed throughout the years. It doesn’t matter how dramatic the changes or uncertain the times, we have quickly adapted and made strides of our own in order to provide the best services possible to our members and unconditional care for our community.
As we enter the next 100 years of Freedom Credit Union, we remain committed to our mission-inspired motto: “People Helping People.” We treat every member as an individual, not a number. We embody a cooperative spirit, rather than a corporate one, with products, programs and perks that benefit you.
That’s the credit union difference. That’s unbanking.
We’re proud to be celebrating 100 years of unbanking and invite you to join us with activities and events throughout the year including raffles, giveaways, ice cream and other special treats. Don’t miss out on the fun!
Watch Our 100th-Anniversary Unbanking Video
