I’ve been a member of a CDFI for 25 yrs and would never go back to a traditional bank, due to the good works that I’ve seen done by CDFI’s. I was also a board member for a few years at one, so I know the inner workings and understand the community missions they take on. My children and I have had a stable home for the past 18 years, partly due to the credit building assistance we received from a CDFI.
In Syracuse’s depressed economy, CDFIs have been a lifeline for aiding some of the most financially challenged residents and businesses. My credit union has leveraged CDFI funds to lift many households out of poverty, and we need this to continue.
The CDFI Fund helps us at Cooperative Federal provide programs for home ownership, small business, consumer credit and financial education for our community, which helps to strengthen the local economy through giving the public access to said services. During a time of high inflation and economic unease, it is more crucial than ever that we continue to be enabled to provide this aid. While I work for Cooperative Federal itself, I have also been a member for several years prior and their free financial education helped me directly to improve my financial situation. Without these programs, people who are already struggling and often cannot afford out of pocket financial education/counseling have nowhere to turn. If we as a country want to achieve greatness, we need to be serving the American people, not stripping them of their ability to raise themselves up!