MEMBER PROFILE

Laurel Hecht

"I bank at Alternatives because when I moved to town, everyone I met banked there. I love how personal it is, and that there were no fees each month if I didn't keep a minimum balance. I stayed because I was impressed with all the benefits they provide. Most of all, I trust Alternatives and I respect how they support our community."

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Credit Path® Seminar for
Community Development Practitioners

Alternatives Federal Credit Union recently completed its fifth Credit Path® Seminar for Community Development practitioners.

The Credit Path® was originally developed as a way of understanding our members’ financial situations, to enable Alternatives to incorporate the needs of our low income members into our business planning. The Credit Path describes where people are situated at various points along a continuum between poverty and self-sufficiency. Our job, as a community development financial institution, is to help our members move along that continuum by empowering them to make decisions, and offering opportunities, that will move them towards financial self-sufficiency.

We create a two-day forum to share our work with our peers. The agenda includes an overview of Alternatives' strategic approach, organizational structure, and program development. Break out sessions will allow participants to study programs that most interest them. The seminar concludes with a tour of the community that will give participants the chance to meet Alternatives’ members and see how our work translates into action.

This two day seminar will be held annually at Alternatives Federal Credit Union in Ithaca, New York. Visit this webpage again for details and registration information for the 2008 Credit Path Seminar.

Topics
Here's an example of previous Credit Path Seminar topics:

• Consumer, Business, Mortgage and Community Lending.
• Financial Literacy educational programs
• Individual Development Accounts
• Microenterprise training
• Retail Member Services
• Youth Credit Union
• Volunteer Free Tax Preparation Program
• Fundraising
  

The seminar includes a tour of the community that gives participants the chance to meet Alternatives’ members and see how our work translates into action. Small group discussions will allow each participant to delve deeper into a topic of choice.