Gwen Kelly, like many Americans, is celebrating Halloween today, but she has an extra reason to rejoice this year.

Gwen, like many Americans, used to put her money in a bank. She started with what she thought was a “free” account from TCF Bank, until they started charging her.

When she went to take her money out, the bank manager said: “I thought little girls always believed everything that was told to them. I thought little girls were innocent and trusting.”

“Welcome to the 21st century!” said Gwen as she walked out the door.

She then put her money in a “free” account at Wells Fargo. Wary this time, she asked the bank’s manager about the details.

“You just want me to come running up to open that free account, so you pull it away and see me flat on my back,” said Gwen.

“You can trust me,” said the bank manager. “See? I have a signed document testifying that I won’t pull it away.”

“It IS signed,” said Gwen. “It’s a signed document. I guess if you have a signed document in your possession, you can’t go wrong.”

Less than a year later, Wells Fargo started charging Gwen, causing her to scream out for all of Minnesota to hear: “Argh!!!”

When she went back to Wells Fargo to find out what happened, the manager replied “Peculiar thing about this document: it was never notarized.”

“I don’’t mind your dishonesty half as much as I mind your opinion of me,” Gwen said, as she walked out the door.

It was at this moment, six months ago, that Gwen decided to open an account at Sharepoint Credit Union. She, like many Americans, didn’t know much about credit unions.

“You must get discouraged because more people believe in banks than in you,” Gwen told the person who was opening her account. “Well, let’s face it; the banks have had more publicity.”

Flash forward to October 2012 when Gwen went into her credit union to withdraw some cash. She was met with a pleasant surprise. Halloween had come early to this credit union with lots of treats, but no tricks (like charging you for a “free” account).

As Gwen grabbed as much popcorn and cookies as she could fit in her hands, one of the credit union employees asked her if she wanted a free pumpkin. These were no ordinary pumpkins. These were HUGE pumpkins. These were GREAT pumpkins.

“I left with treats, a Great Pumpkin, a smile, and that lighthearted feeling you get when someone goes out of their way to give you a small bit of kindness,” Gwen recalls. “Wells Fargo and TCF certainly never gave me a huge pumpkin!”

This story is inspired by “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”.