Advia Credit Union Shares First-Place Honors for the 2026 Tekkie Award for People Helping People
- W.B. King
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By W.B. King
True to the credit union mission, the Finopotamus Tekkie Award for People Helping People recognizes an initiative, program, or team effort that significantly improved the lives of members or the community in 2025.
In the spirit of this category, which supports the ethos of the credit union movement, the judges determined that the first-place designation should be shared by the six nominees: Addition Financial Credit Union, Advia Credit Union, Holy Rosary Credit Union, NET Credit Union, St. Louis Community Credit Union, TruStage Ventures Discovery Fund, and United Consumers Credit Union. Presented in no particular order, Advia Credit Union is spotlighted next.
Fighting Food Insecurity
When Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were paused in 2025 due to a lapse in federal appropriations during the U.S. government shutdown, communities across Advia Credit Union’s footprint experienced an overwhelming surge in food insecurity. The $3.9 billion Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Advia Credit Union, which supports more than 200,000 members in Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois, acted fast.
“Local food pantries reported families seeking help for the first time, lines growing overnight, and staff struggling to keep pace with demand," Nancy Loftis, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, told Finopotamus. “Advia lived out the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’ by listening first and acting quickly.”
Rather than assuming “how” to help, Loftis explained that Advia’s Community Impact Partner Program proactively reached out to nonprofit food pantry partners across Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin asking one critical question: What do you need most right now?
“The answer was consistent across organizations—financial support was the most urgent need, followed by people to help manage increased traffic, with food donations ranking third,” she shared. “This direct feedback shaped every component of Advia’s response.”
Going Above and Beyond
Guided by partner input, Advia launched a coordinated, multipronged initiative to advance food security. Each of Advia’s 34 branches sponsored a $1,200 grant to a local food pantry, totaling $40,800 in direct financial support. “These funds allowed pantries to purchase food in bulk at significantly reduced costs, enabling tens of thousands of pounds of food to reach families experiencing hunger because of the SNAP disruption,” Loftis noted.
In addition to these efforts, all 600-plus Advia employees received two additional paid volunteer ACTION Hours (Advancing Ties in our Neighborhood), designated specifically for volunteering at food banks and food pantries.
“Employees supported food distribution, stocking, and client services at a time when volunteer help was urgently needed,” said Loftis. “Advia also organized an internal employee food drive, further supporting pantry partners by supplementing shelf inventory through staff donations.”
The SNAP benefits related initiative resulted in immediate and measurable community impact:
$40,800 donated directly to local food pantries, with each of Advia’s 34 branches supporting a community-based nonprofit partner.
Tens of thousands of pounds of food made available to families through bulk purchasing enabled by financial donations.
Increased volunteer capacity for nonprofit partners experiencing record demand and operational strain.
An internal employee food drive that supplemented pantry food supplies and deepened employee engagement.
The SNAP benefits effort was part of Advia’s overall community outreach, which invested over $1.2 million in 2025 locally, Loftis noted. In total, she said the team at Advia volunteered 8,060 hours, participated in over 300 local community events and sponsorships, and provided thousands of dollars locally through Advancing Lives Grants, youth and teacher scholarships, and other local donations.
“Together, these outcomes demonstrate how listening to community needs and mobilizing people and resources quickly can significantly improve lives during times of hardship,” she told Finopotamus.
