CCEA’s History of Supporting Our Communities

When the Community Currency Exchange Association of Illinois (CCEA) first put down roots nearly 90 years ago, its members knew that giving back to local residents would be part of its ongoing legacy.

It’s a lesser known aspect of both our history and our present day reality that goes against common misconceptions of these businesses.

Our Goal of Supporting Families

It takes time and effort for a currency exchange to build trust with the neighborhood they’ve moved into – and some businesses don’t take the time to create those connections. That’s why it’s so important for CCEA service providers to distinguish ourselves by building close community ties throughout the state.

In the decades that CCEA has been in operation, we’ve never been satisfied with being only about business. How do we give back to the families we serve, as well as neighbors who we have yet to meet? By supporting folks through services we think they’ll benefit from while supporting various nonprofits that are already set up to help the locals there.

Read about the impact of currency exchanges and why they are still essential to local economies today.

Currency Exchanges Get Involved in Illinois Neighborhoods

With dozens of active locations, we get involved in numerous philanthropic organizations, many aimed at helping disadvantaged kids and supporting educational efforts. We’ve done this by taking roles in town parades, raising money for charitable groups, and helping out educational initiatives through things like fire safety education and support for college scholarships.

Organizations We Have Supported & How They Help

The people in charge of CCEA have donated money and provided other forms of support to many local organizations that give back to our communities. Below are just some of those groups.

Back 2 School Illinois. This is one of our most cherished partnerships. For over a decade, CCEA has given out hundreds of thousands of school supplies, benefitting countless children whose families struggle to afford pens, notebooks, and other items students are expected to have at the beginning of the school year.

We love collaborating with B2SA (Back to School America), and helped set up a nonprofit to lower the financial burden of families and teachers. Thanks to the program’s success, Back 2 School Illinois runs year-round to help improve educational opportunities for our children.

YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Like us, “the Y” has been a longtime neighborhood presence in Illinois. They’re known for their physical fitness programs, but the organization does many other things for communities, with services ranging from enrichment programs for babies to pickleball for seniors.

Leukemia Research Foundation. This is the country’s biggest nonprofit that focuses solely on research aimed at curing Leukemia.

Muscular Dystrophy Association. This organization leads the way in research and advocacy throughout the country for people who live with neuromuscular disorders.

College Scholarships. Our auto and financial services are available to countless families with dreams of sending their children to college. By contributing to college scholarship programs, we help them achieve that goal.

Little League Sports Teams. Youth sports rely on different sources of funding to pay for expenses from equipment and uniforms to registration and travel fees. Businesses like our help make that happen.

Call Your Local CCEA Currency Exchange for Help Today!

There are many more local organizations we have supported over the years. And when it comes to helping out the people who live here, we have a lot to offer, too.

Visit your nearby CCEA location to find out what we can do for you today!