Starting a family tradition: Damon's member story

We love it when members like you let us be a part of your financial firsts. Your first savings account. Your first car. Your first home. You get the idea. 

One of our favorite things, though, is when you decide to bring other people into the OCCU community and let us be a part of their firsts as well. So we were thrilled when our member Damon Burian shared his story. 

Damon joined OCCU as a teen. He recalls visiting his local branch after school and putting money into his account so he could use his debit card during lunch. It gave him a sense of independence as he made his transition into adulthood. 

He trusted us to keep his lunch money safe. But that’s not the only thing that kept him coming back. As he stayed with us, he watched as our online offerings grew, particularly with MyOCCU Online & Mobile. 

“Mobile banking is ... really powerful for me because I can make those transfers. If I know that I'm going to make a big purchase and I don't have the money in that account, I can get it there instantaneously,” he said. “That's a pretty fantastic tool that not everybody offers.” 

But while digital banking is great, he recognizes that there is no substitute for a human connection, which is something we love, too. “I have the ability to go into the same branch to talk to the same people and also talk to loan officers and the underwriters that are making it happen,” he said. “Being able to have that without being transferred a million times and talking to different departments ... I think that's fantastic.” 

As we grew with Damon — more services, more branches, more members — he grew with us as well. His trust in us to keep his lunch money secure has grown into trust with bigger things in his life. His home. His business. His children’s savings. 

“It's actually kind of cool when my kids walk in, they know that OCCU already has their names down. The idea that when they come in that they're recognized is, for me, really powerful.” 

There are so many things to love about serving our members. But watching them grow, both personally and financially, is one of the most rewarding. “They have the ability to really understand where you're coming from because they know where you've been, they know where you're going, and they help you get there,” he said. 

Thank you, Damon, for sharing your story. We’re so glad you let us join you for your financial journey. We can’t wait to see where we go next.