It all began in 1947, when 20 visionary and bold civil servants – one woman and nineteen men – started the Civil Service Credit Union with a Share Capital of just under $1,000 Dollars and a closed bond of only Civil Servants. The founding members were inspired by the late Daisy Bryan, a social welfare officer attached to Grenada from Jamaica, who shared Credit Union literature with members of the Civil Service Association. A special thank you is extended to these founding members for their bold vision and action that stoked the flame of progress.

Seventy-five years later, Ariza Credit Union is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary under the theme “75 Years of Transforming Lives.” The vision of 20 founding members evolved into Grenada Public Service Co-operative Credit Union and, from 2016, to Ariza Credit Union, which now serves over 23,000 members with a capital base of just over $500,000,000.

The celebrations kicked off on 2^nd January 2022, with an Ecumenical Church Service to give thanks for the Credit Union’s accomplishments and ask God’s blessings for the future, followed by an in-branch celebration on 3^rd January. The yearlong festivities reflect the importance of this significant milestone to the Credit Union. It is a way to honour the stalwarts who championed the institution’s growth and an opportunity to reward members for their loyalty over the years.

The inspiration for the theme was based on the many lives the Credit Union has transformed since 1947 – and aspires to transform in the future – through the founding co-operative principle of ‘people helping people.’ Ariza has also transformed its mission and vision, as well as taken bold actions to remain the leading Credit Union with a variety of products and services that improve the lives of members on their journey to financial freedom.

In its early years, the Credit Union had no permanent staff, no computers and one office space acquired in 1985. Today, Ariza has three branches (St George’s, Grenville and Carriacou) with 95 employees committed to making members smile and digital infrastructure and technologies have been continuously upgraded. These evolutionary actions have shown the Credit Union’s resilience in withstanding change and adverse conditions, and its capability to support members.

The year 2022 will be one of excitement, reflection and recommitment to the Credit Union’s philosophy as it charts the way for the future.  Members can look forward to an array of initiatives and activities that will celebrate the Credit Union’s rich history, highlight key milestones, reward members, and give back to our tri-island state Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Some of these are new solutions-oriented products and services, member testimonials, activities for the elderly, tributes to Ariza stalwarts, monthly draws where 10 members will win $750 each, and other surprises throughout the year.

Ariza invites you to share your story and experiences and join in the celebration….after all, the ‘I’ in Ariza is you and there would be no Ariza without you! You are the reason Ariza aspires to transform more lives, individually and collectively as a community, nation, region, and world. Persons are encouraged to stay tuned to Ariza’s social channels and local media platforms to learn more about these exciting initiatives and be a part of the year-long celebration.

Cheers to 75 years of transforming lives and to seventy-five more!