Local 831 United Rubber Workers formed the URW 831 Members Credit Union in 1970. It started out of a shoe box, making $50 loans. From that humble start, URW opened its doors to the community in 2003. Today, URW is over 33,000 members strong with branches in Virginia and North Carolina.
Showcase caught up with President/CEO, Cheryl Doss to talk about the credit union’s support of its communities.
Showcase Magazine: What is URW’s definition of community?
Cheryl Doss: Community, to us, is friendship between a diverse group of people who share a common goal of making our area a better place to live for all residents.
SM: What makes a strong community?
CD: A strong community is built on commitment and diversity.
SM: Why is community involvement so important to URW?
CD: URW is the only locally owned and operated financial institution in the area and, as a stakeholder in the success of our communities, we lead responsibly to help address challenges in our area. Our contributions and efforts are focused on making a significant difference in the lives of people in our community—now and for generations to come.
SM: What are some ways URW has been involved in the community in 2022?
CD: URW sponsors all the City of Danville Parks and Recs events: Festival in the Park, Harvest Jubilee, Children’s Festival, July 4th celebration, Halloween Monster Mash and our favorite, the Christmas Parade. We also provide Dave Ramsey Financial Literacy Materials to local high schools. In 2022, we are very proud to have sponsored the new playground at Twin Springs school. It’s very likely that if you’re at a local event, you will see a URW banner!
SM: How does URW measure successful community involvement?
CD: We measure our success by watching the number of attendees grow at our sponsored events each year. Every year, we are excited to meet new friends.
SM: What makes the area so special to URW?
CD: URW is locally owned and operated. Our team was born and raised here. Our roots are in this community, and we are invested in enriching the lives of our friends and family who live and work here.
SM: What are your visions for the future of our area?
CD: We look forward to the exciting things coming to our area, and we stand committed to continuing to give back to our community by providing financial literacy education and supporting local events. We have an extraordinary community with extraordinary dreams. We are committed to helping our friends and neighbors reach their goals and realize their dreams. Together we can do more!
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.