DURHAM, N.C.–The $9.3 billion Self-Help Credit Union and its affiliated CUs have contracted with CU Strategic Planning for its HERO Community Development Certified Financial Counseling program.
According to CU Strategic Planning, HERO provides training, testing and certification to allow credit union staff to better serve consumers, safely increase lending beyond A and B borrowers to serve more and boost profitability, and cultivate effective partnerships with cooperatives and community organizations to achieve broader community revitalization.
“Every staff member at Self-Help will learn steps to take to help members and identify members who are in trouble, which can include transferring them to the counseling department or skilled loan officers for refinancing predatory loans, transferring them to collections for workout solutions to avoid foreclosures and repossessions,” said CU Strategic Planning Founder Jamie Strayer.
Added Melitta Wright, Self-Help director of operations training, “Investing in people is part of our mission, and an investment in staff strengthens our ability to make a difference in the broader community. The HERO program empowers our staff to identify opportunities to help our members overcome financial barriers and stress and to know when to offer specific asset- and credit-building products.”
Self-Help has more than 62 branches nationwide to assist members.
‘An Ideal Fit’
“As we champion a strong organizational culture that fosters learning and development, we feel the HERO Certified Financial Counseling training program is an ideal fit,” Wright added.
“We’re so humbled that Self-Help has invited CU Strategic Planning into its credit union to help them improve members’ financial stability,” Strayer added. “We truly believe in the power of credit unions to lift up communities that have been historically underserved. Our team is looking forward to working with the team to expand the credit union’s reach to more hard-working consumers who need a hand up and unlocking opportunities for Self-Help.”