May 2023 Stories and Data

K-V-A-T Food Stores, Inc.
Two Rivers Lumber Company
Cristo Rey Fort Worth STEAM Center
La Placita: An Economic, Health Care and Community Resilience Hub (1751 Alum Rock, LLC)

Thank you to our partners at Inclusive and CDBA for sharing data on CDFI Bank and CDFI Credit Union branch locations. In addition, about 100 of our CDFI Stories come from OFN’s story database.

CDFI Investment Map

Mapped CDFI investment data (2005-2023), via the CDFI Coalition's partnership with CDFI Friendly America.

CDFI Advocacy App

Want more state data? Check out CDFI Friendly America's mobile-friendly CDFI Advocacy App for impacts from 2005-2023.

Testimonials

Mary Stoick from Sunrise Bank in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the reason my family’s business, which had been in operation for 71 years, is still thriving. We were on the verge of collapse, and being evicted from our old location at that point made it even more challenging. In a desperate attempt to save our business, I decided to take a risky gamble and enter the food truck business. We were incredibly fortunate with the outcome of that decision. While our food truck business was thriving, we faced significant difficulties in finding a lender with fair pricing. Mary informed us that unfortunately, all the allocated funds for their tax credit loan had been exhausted, and they would no longer be able to provide us with funding through that avenue. She emphasized the slim chances of success, urging me to let it go, but I refused to give up. I relentlessly pursued her for days, and finally, something gave way. There were just enough funds to allow us to continue our family legacy. We are now approaching 80 years old, and I have a son. If he chooses to follow in our footsteps, he could potentially extend our business history to 125 years. None of this would have been possible without Mary and Sunrise Bank. This is not an exaggerated or fabricated story; it’s a true account of my life. Mary stands out among many as one of the few who genuinely cares for her customers, making her a rare gem. I sincerely hope that this allocation goes through so that she can continue to do for others what she has done for me.

Anthony M Polski, Market Bar-B-Que, Minneapolis, MN

CDFIs are an important part of the economic system and help deploy money to underserved communities, bringing needed resources such as affordable housing, health care, quality education, etc.

Emily Andrews, Momentus Capital, Arlington, VA

CDFIs and Credit Unions help people of modest means when other FI’s do not. We are the last bastion of hope in banking for the little guy.

Michelle Rosner, Alltru Credit Union, Wentzville, MO

CDFIs fill a vital role in economic growth of communities and prosperity for all Americans. The rigor and discipline that CDFIs employ proves that you can promote opportunity for all while making wise financing and lending decisions. CDFIs operate in the Abundance mentality and are focused on creating win-win scenarios.

Joe Huber, Cincinnati Development Fund, Cincinnati, OH