Since our founding on March 21, 1964, Kindred Credit Union has grown from a group of 22 Mennonites coming together to share resources into a trusted financial cooperative serving over 30,000 members across diverse communities in Ontario. Throughout our journey, we’ve remained committed to our core values of integrity, compassion, and stewardship.
At Kindred, our work has always been about more than just cooperative banking. It’s about connecting our values and faith with finances to inspire peaceful, just, and prosperous communities. As we celebrate over 60 years of helping you “Make Peace with Your Money,” we look back with gratitude for the trust and partnership of our members, team members, and communities.
In 2025, we continued our commitment to serving our members and local communities in ways that align with our purpose.
In a world seeking hopeful paths toward equity, sustainability, and social wellbeing, the United Nations declared 2025 as the International Year of the Cooperative, a timely recognition of the quiet yet transformative work cooperatives like Kindred are doing globally. This year-long observance offered a unique opportunity to reflect on how co-ops empower people and communities to live out their values through meaningful participation in the economy.
In 2025, the Kindred Charitable Fund once again demonstrated its commitment to local communities. After reviewing over 100 applications, our committee thoughtfully selected 17 organizations across our branch communities to receive a total of $160,206. These organizations focus on key areas like housing, hunger, and mental health—values that resonate with Kindred in creating peaceful, just, and prosperous communities.
Since its inception in 1999, the Kindred Charitable Fund has allocated more than $1.62 million to support 202 congregations and charitable organizations. These grants have funded 408 projects that positively impact people and communities across Ontario.
On February 22, the weather across southwestern Ontario was a chilly -7°C, with snow and ice still lingering from a previous storm. But that didn’t stop 59 Kindred teammates from walking together in the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY), a nationwide family-friendly event to raise funds and awareness for community organizations addressing issues of hurt, hunger, homelessness.
Despite the freezing temperatures, the Kindred team rallied together in full force, walking in or near all eight of our branch locations. The enthusiasm was contagious, and collectively, we raised $14,450, which will stay in the local communities we serve.
Supported by Kindred, the Peace Innovators Scholarship & Mentoring Program continues to equip young leaders with the skills to address social justice challenges that matter to them. Over the course of the 2024-2025 school year, six students participated in this program, networking with other high school leaders from across Ontario. For the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, the program is expanding its reach, offering even more students the opportunity to refine their ideas and launch community projects.
Peace Innovators receive mentoring from both community and industry leaders, helping them develop and implement impactful projects. With seed funding, these young leaders are empowered to take on leadership roles and drive meaningful change within their communities.
In June, senior leaders and board members from Kindred Credit Union and Conrad Grebel University College toured organizations shaping the future of our region, including Communitech, Velocity’s Innovation Arena, and GreenHouse. The tour offered valuable insight into how these organizations are fostering innovation while upholding values of mutual aid, cooperation, and community wellbeing.
On August 7, a group of Kindred team members volunteered to help build a Shaputuan (a traditional Indigenous gathering space) at Crow Shield Lodge near New Hamburg. Led by David Lundberg of Sewn Home, we learned how to blend traditional Indigenous architecture with modern materials, ensuring the space is both safe and long-lasting.
This meaningful day of teamwork allowed us to spend time with Indigenous community members and allies while supporting Crow Shield Lodge’s mission to provide land-based healing for all nations.
In the fall, Kindred team members gathered to plant 100 native trees and shrubs in Meinzinger Park in partnership with Sustainable Waterloo Region. This micro-forest will play a key role in building a climate-resilient community by capturing carbon, supporting local wildlife, and serving as a symbol of our commitment to environmental sustainability.
MCCO Meat Cannery Volunteer Day
Since 1947, MCC has been a trusted provider of canned meat for people caught in conflict and disaster. For decades, a mobile cannery served communities in the United States, Leamington, and Elmira, drawing together the passion and generosity of local churches. Over time, regulatory challenges made it increasingly difficult to continue this tradition across the U.S./Canada border and the COVID-19 pandemic added further complications. These setbacks sparked an inspired idea: to build a permanent, stationary cannery—an investment that offers a long-term solution to meet the growing need from MCC partners for canned meat in response to disasters and food insecurity.
In November, two teams of Kindred team members learned how to can chicken that will be sent to Chad early in the new year. Each team became an assembly line: prepping the cans; filling and weighing them; sealing and loading them for the pressure cooker; and finally, unloading and labelling the finished cans into boxes.
Kindred is also dedicated to improving access to healthy food here at home. This year, our team volunteered at The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, helping sort food for families in need. Our efforts helped provide over 6,500 meals to those experiencing hunger.
In November, our members, team members, and branch communities came together to donate a total of $60,200 to community organizations working to combat hunger. Donations exceeded expectations, with a 47% increase in the number of contributions from the previous year. Thanks to Kindred’s matching donations up to $3,000 per branch, and additional gifts like $4,200 for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region’s Milk Program, this year’s food drive was a resounding success.
As we reflect on 2025, we are inspired by the collective power of community and the enduring impact of Kindred’s work. Every day, we strive to make a meaningful difference, whether it’s through charitable funding, volunteer efforts, or supporting the next generation of peacebuilders. Our values of integrity, compassion, and stewardship continue to guide us, and we are more committed than ever to helping our members achieve their dreams while fostering a peaceful, just, and prosperous world.
Together, we are building a future where financial services do more than just meet needs—they create positive change. Thank you to our members and communities for being a part of this journey. Here’s to another year of growth, service, and shared values.