Our Impact

Our Local Impact Extends Beyond Our Membership — See the Reach of Our Ripple Effect

As socially conscious leaders of the Roanoke and New River Valleys, we ensure that every initiative holds the promise of success for the community. We leverage our strong relationships with nonprofits, businesses, and government organizations to provide a full spectrum of services to every community member.

With over ^$650 million in our asset portfolio, we are able to help create opportunities in the Roanoke and New River Valleys.

We hold a vision of creating local economic vitality through our core impact areas: Affordable Housing, Transportation, Financial Education, Impact Banking, and Community Revitalization. Our partnerships and outside funding move us toward realizing this vision as a whole community.

Homeownership

We believe that in order to support a more vibrant community, we should work towards ensuring that more of our neighbors have access to home ownership. Our Affordable Housing Program offers extensive support and unconventional loans for those who previously thought home ownership was completely out of reach.

	Last Quarter	Year to Date 2020
	202 loans $41,471,166 total loans 211 First time homebuyers 69 loans to low & moderate income members $10,429,608 total loans to low & moderate income members $52,500 in down payment assistance	325 loans $63,371,941 total loans 330 First time homebuyers 128 loans to low & moderate income members $17,175,873 total loans to low & moderate income members $80,000 in down payment assistance

Responsible Rides^®

An award-winning auto buying program for low- to moderate-income earners, including education classes on finances and budgeting as well as car maintenance.

	Last Quarter	Year to Date 2020
	8 loans $65,574 total loans 2 single parents served 6 children affected 195% Average % of poverty rate	23 loans $228,614 total loans 6 single parents served 15 children affected 196% Average % of poverty rate

Financial Coaching

With CUNA-certified financial coaches on staff, Freedom First helps borrowers receive financial education tailored to their individual situations. Our award-winning financial education program partners with Pathways to Financial Empowerment and GreenPath Financial Wellness to provide expanded services.

	Last Quarter	Year to Date 2020
	120 participants 61 one-on-one coaching sessions 34 individuals	811 participants 16 classroom style settings 110 participants 151 one-on-one coaching sessions 83 individuals

Impact Banking

Our commitment to personal and financial empowerment is paramount to our success in creating economic vitality in our region. Flash Cash, Payday Relief Loans, Workforce Development Loans, and American Dreamer Loans are some ways we reach our Impact Banking members.

	Year to Date 2019
	1,242 members $5,853,194 total Impact Banking loan portfolio $554,900 held in savings accounts

Community Investment

Freedom First deploys capital in the communities through Commercial Lending, Business & Real Estate Loans and Personal Loans.

	Year to Date 2019
	$65,772,431 in deployed funding to expand local businesses to support economic development, workforce development, and revitalization efforts.

Additional Community Give-Back

We invest in local talent and community service through an award-winning grants program and scholarships for area students. A robust, all-volunteer Board of Directors, talented management team and 200 strong employee workforce add vibrancy to the Credit Union ideals that brings alive our mission of Helping People Prosper — Helping Communities Thrive.


	17,187 employee volunteer hours since 2015 $92,510 through scholarships, Community Investment Grants, & event sponsorships in 2020

Here are two of our 2019 Grant Winners

	LovABLE Services will use their grant funds to support Chris’s Coffee & Custard, a job training site that will serve the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by creating opportunities to enhance life, social, communication and vocational skills that will lead to gainful and meaningful employment.
	Live, Work, Eat, Gather, Inc. will use their grant funding to support Millstone Kitchen, a shared use commercial kitchen located in the old school center of the Prices Fork Elementary School. Half of the old kindergarten space has been converted into kitchen space rentable hourly by food business entrepreneurs, such as caterers, bakers, value-added farmers and food trucks.

See our 2018-2019 Impact Report here.

See our 2019 Annual Report here.

Accolades & Partnerships

We are proud of the awards and recognition we have received through the years and of the many local, regional, & national organizations that we partner with. Here are a few:

Accolades

Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce: 2018 Small Business of the Year Award, Large Not-for-Profit
2018 Roanoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Shamrock Festival Best in Show
Public Relations Society of America Blue Ridge: 2018 Summit Gold Award for the “Bank For Good” branding campaign
2018 Dora Maxwell Award for the Invest Health initiative
2018 Individual Affiliate of the Year for Paula Brown, SVP Mortgage at Freedom First (RVAR)
Ranked #1 for the Financial Brand 2019 Q4 Power 100 Social Media Rankings

View a full listing of our Products and Services:

Personal Accounts | Business Accounts

Personal Loans | Business Loans

Personal Services | Business Services

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