When BECU opened its Neighborhood Financial Center in downtown Bellevue on Thursday, May 29, it did so with a statement. The ribbon-cutting came with the presentation of a $10,000 to the Bellevue School District’s VIBES program.

VIBES (Volunteers in Belleuvue’s Education System) is a highly successful, in-school volunteer program that supports students in all 27 Bellevue schools, grades K-12. From the birth of the VIBES program in 1989, hundreds of volunteers, including teachers, school administrators and community representatives, have met weekly with students to mentor and encourage academic progress.

The programs continued success is made possible through financial support provided by the Bellevue Schools Foundation, the city of Bellevue and the Bellevue School District. Now, BECU is part of that list.

Leslie Frazier, the BECU manager of the new downtown center, noted that the facility will allow credit union members the opportunity to perform financial transactions with ease.

“Neighborhood Financial Centers give members the ability to get cash at an ATM, apply for loans and perform most of the transactions that they could at our main financial centers,” said Grace Semingsen, BECU’s vice president of Member Services. “Historically, BECU was open only to Boeing employees and their families. Now anyone in the state is now eligible to join, and this additional location will make membership even more attractive for those who live and work in downtown Bellevue.”

BECU has 42 Neighborhood Financial Centers and more than 540,000 members making it the largest credit union in the state. The new Bellevue location is at 200 Bellevue Way Northeast, with hours of operation M-F 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@reporternewspapers.com or 425-453-4602.