MEMBER PROFILE

Aaron Lambert, Nutritional Wellness Center

In 2006 we had a vision of creating a wellness center that would be highly successful in helping people to achieve optimal health. We also wanted to connect as many people as possible with the wonderful locally grown food. The business loan and the Business CENTS program both allowed us to achieve our dream. A loan officer even came to visit our business some time later to see how we were doing.

THE ALTERNATIVES GROUP
In order to fulfill our development mission, we've found that at times, a regulated insured financial institution is not the most appropriate vehicle. While we are known as Alternatives Federal Credit Union, some of our most exciting community development work is accomplished through one of the other affiliates in the Alternatives Group. Each of the five corporations in the Group shares a common mission. Each is chartered separately and has an independent Board.

Alternatives Federal Credit Union is a member owned, community development financial institution. Established twenty-four years ago, Alternatives is a non-profit 501(c)(1) cooperative (run by a member-elected volunteer board) offering a full range of traditional credit union services: deposits, transactions and loans. Deposits are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration Share Insurance Fund. The Credit Union provides management services to the Alternatives Group.

Alternatives Community Ventures, as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation, accepts donations for the Alternatives Group. It is through generous donations that many of our mission-focused programs are able to operate: Business CENTS, Individual Development Accounts, Free Tax Preparation, and the Student Credit Unions.

Alternatives Fund was the sponsor of Alternatives Federal Credit Union, established in 1970 as a trade association of community groups, cooperatives, worker-owned businesses and individuals. The Alternatives Fund provides a field of membership for the Credit Union.

Tompkins County Friends of Alternatives, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2002 to provide opportunities to invest secondary capital in Alternatives Federal Credit Union. Supporters of Alternatives pool their funds in uninsured long-term investments.