Kitsap Community Federal Credit Union (KCFCU) earned first place in the 2002 Louise Herring award for Philosophy in Action competition from the Washington Credit Union League.

The league honored KCFCU for its dedication to education as one of its core values. The winning entry is automatically entered in national competition early next year.

HCFCU’s foremost effort last year was opening the Community Development Branch in Bremerton’s low income Westpark Housing Complex and the introduction of the Individual Development Account program. The Kitsap IDA offers $2 for every $1 that participants deposit into a special savings account at the credit union through a Washington State Department of Social and Health Services grant.

KCFCU was recognized for helping 26 Kitsap County individuals learn how to make wise spending choices, how to budget and save money for the future. A series of personal finance workshops was designed to equip participants with financial skills and consumer awareness.