KAMUELA, Hawaii—Hawaii First FCU has won a Circle of Honor Award for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) serving native companies. CDFI grant-writing firm CU Strategic Planning, Tacoma, Wash., wrote the award, and has written all of Hawaii First’s CDFI and NACA Award winning applications totaling $2.3 million since the credit union became CDFI certified in 2007. The Circle of Honor Award recognizes a Native CDFI that is successfully increasing access to capital and financial resources in native communities.
Hawaii First recognized the need for a one-stop shop where it could provide tools and resources to promote self-sustainability, such as: access to a computer, help looking for a job, creating a resume, small business startup and development, enrolling in college, preparing taxes, setting up a budget, access to affordable credit, foreclosure prevention, social services, etc.
“Instead of asking why? We started to ask why not?” stated Hawaii First CEO Laura Aguirre, as she was presented the award at the Opportunity Finance Network Conference. “We didn’t need to wait for someone else to put a community resource center in place; we could be a socially responsible credit union and make it happen right now.”
According to Aguirre, to ensure the success of its staff CRCs, the credit union required each employee to complete National Cooperative Business Association’s (NCBA) award-winning Community Development Certified Financial Counselor program. Hawaii First’s newly trained employees can use this knowledge to make smart financial decisions in their own lives and also use it to empower community members.
“At every point of contact, whether at its branches or CRCs, an individual can receive one-on-one financial counseling,” Aguirre said. “There is no waiting to see a loan officer or the manager for assistance or hope.”
For info: www.creditunionstrategicplanning.com.