Community Credit Union

History

In 1945, the parishioners of St. Peter and St. Paul met and voted to incorporate under the State of Maine Credit Union Laws. The goal was to help meet the financial needs of fellow church members by establishing the new cooperative named St. Pierre Credit Union. On April 12, 1945 the first directors, officers, and committee members were elected. Lucien Bouchard was the first President and Alfred O. Vachon served as the first Treasurer. Father Drouin, the pastor, preached the benefits of being a credit union member and urged his parishioners to join a very worthy cause. In 1949, a business office was established at 198 Lisbon Street. Members were allowed to conduct business on Monday and Friday evenings. This increased membership convenience and added privacy to their financial transactions.

In 1960, just 15 years after its organization, St. Pierre Credit Union reached its first million dollars in shares and half million dollars in loans. The Credit Union purchased the Dominique property located at the intersection of Pine and Howe Streets in Lewiston. The doors of the new office were opened on November 1, 1964. Having fully maintained office hours, ample parking for members, and a drive-up window, more efficient service was provided to the membership which now numbered at more than 5,000 strong. In 1978, the Credit Union was launched into the computer age with the conversion of all member accounts. St. Pierre Credit Union was now on-line with the Maine Credit Union League, utilizing the most modern technology available at the time. In 1985, the Maine Bureau of Banking granted permission to change the credit union's common bond to anyone who lives, works, or attends school in Lewiston. The name of the credit union was changed to Community Credit Union to better reflect the membership served. The renovation in 1989 enlarged the building and added three drive through lanes! The Board of Directors again was granted the right to change the common bond to "Anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Lewiston or Auburn or has a family member who does."

In 1994, the Board of Directors and management were pleased to announce the February merger with the Municipal Employees of Auburn Federal Credit Union. The merger added a branch office in the County Building on the corner of Court and Turner Streets in Auburn. At that time, the credit union was granted the right to change the common bond to anyone who lives, works or attends school in Androscoggin County or has a family member who does. To increase access to the credit union a state of the art facility and ATM were established in September of 1996 at 40 Stanley Street, Auburn with 2,000 square feet of office space. In March 2015, the credit union opened their doors in a new leased space at 1025 Auburn Road (Route 4),Turner to better serve members in the northern part of the Androscoggin County. Although the pandemic continues to present challenges, in 2020 Community Credit Union received its Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) designation from the US Department of Treasury. In 2022, with record loan growth and several new loan and deposit programs targeted to serve the underserved in Androscoggin County, Community Credit Union hit $90 million in assets.