Credit unions are the better version of big banking. You can do all of your typical banking services, including loans and mortgages, but with more of a community focus and operating under the People Helping People philosophy.Great Lakes Credit Union has one mission, and that’s to better the community by giving the residents a chance to thrive. What started out as a financial cooperative to serve the civil servants at a local naval base has grown into a credit union that serves nearly 100,000 members.