A Milestone Worth Celebrating
Blog by Samira Rajan June 10,2026
You all have read a couple of blogs (Samira’s blog and Becky/Claudia’s blog) recently where Brooklyn Coop staff have been looking back at their time here. That is because 2026 is the 25th year of operation for our credit union and we have been feeling a real sense of accomplishment. Last Wednesday 100 members and guests celebrated that accomplishment at our 25th Anniversary party.
Live music, delicious food and our keynote speakers Diana Reyna and Cathie Mahon created a joyous atmosphere; NYC Comptroller Mark Levine commended our achievement in person while additional messages of congratulation arrived from State Senator Roxanne Persaud, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The celebration was joyous not only because of the milestone anniversary, but because we were able to welcome everyone to Brooklyn Coop’s first permanent location. It contains enough space to serve members – we opened for member transactions in March and the ATM is available 24/7 – plus we have a gorgeous event space that we showed off at our event.
I love the coincidence that our permanent branch was ready right on time for our 25th anniversary. It feels like a real-life demonstration of what we’ve accomplished. When we look back over our history, we remember people/offices/technologies that seemed innovative and even indispensable at the time – does anyone out there recall the first fax machines, with the faxes coming out warm on the special rolled up paper….? Recalling “how things used to be” is truly fun when you get to see the genuine shock when you tell a young person that in 2005 I often told people their balance multiple times a day on the telephone because online banking didn’t exist?
That’s where the idea of a permanent branch resonates. The whole idea is that it *won’t* change. There won’t have to be a long list of old offices where we used to be. Technologies and people will still change, of course. But, like Madison Square Garden or Junior’s on Flatbush Ave or the post office on Wyckoff Ave, for the next 25 years, here is the one thing that doesn’t have to.
