The Water & Power Community Credit Union is a local financial institution located near historic Echo Park and Chinatown. Started in 1936 by DWP employees, the Credit Union has assisted many families in finding home loans and car loans and sending kids to college. Unlike a bank, credit unions don't have shareholders in the traditional sense; instead, every member with an account owns "shares", where a deposit is actually a "share certificate". Each member also has a voting privilege to decide who will be elected to the company's board of directors: one member, one vote. And instead of earning interest, members earn dividends on their "shares" when the Credit Union grows.