(June 4, 2007 – Oceanside, CA)  When Marine-veteran and stroke-survivor Charles Paige first heard about Faith Based FCU last year he wanted to get more involved. He joined the credit union in July of 2006 and soon became one of its most dedicated volunteers.  Since August, Paige has tackled almost every job at the credit union, from the ever-necessary filing to assisting to process loans.  Most recently, he completed the credit union’s teller training program and has begun working as a teller.

Paige, who says his experience has been both “wonderful and enjoyable,” volunteers as part of the Disability Outreach Offering Resources Through Services (DOORS) which Faith Based FCU is involved in through a disability outreach partnership coordinated by the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (the Federation).

DOORS engages adults with disabilities, with a focus on military veterans, in service opportunities that build economic empowerment for the individual, their families, and their communities. Through his work at the credit union, Charles Paige has done that and more: he has helped numerous people receive financial services that simply weren’t available before, and he was a founding member of the financial literacy committee, which provides financial literacy training for members and the Financial Literacy for Youth (FLY) program. The FLY program offers Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) with a three to one match for community youth who participate in the literacy program.  Teaming IDAs with financial literacy training helps participating youth learn the skills they need to be financially self-sufficient while proving resources to give them a head start.

In addition to volunteering at the credit union, Paige has become one of its biggest supporters, as well as a big proponent of the credit union movement in general. According to Daniel Scott, CEO of Faith Based FCU, “Charles Paige is ‘a mover and a shaker’ in the San Diego community, formerly presiding as the Commander of the local VFW Post, and uses his connections to get others, especially disabled veterans, involved with the credit union.”

Paige recently traveled to the Montford Point Marine Association conference in Florida and spread the word about his experiences to other veterans from around the country. He regularly spends his time and his own money to share his experiences about his work and the value of CDCUs.

Faith Based FCU truly appreciates his help according to its manager, Daniel Scott.  Since opening, the all-volunteer credit union has been growing and expanding their services to the Oceanside community. 

Faith Based FCU, offers many services to their community besides day-to-day banking, and Charles’ 35 hours per month has allowed Mr. Scott to focus on other priorities, such as operating a free tax preparation site through the Volunteers in Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, providing financial education to youth and the community, and offering homebuyer counseling. 

In addition to participating in the DOORS program Faith Based FCU has expanded their offerings with help from the Federation, especially from its Community Development Investments Program.  Through that program, the Federation presented Faith Based FCU with a number of equity grants for their IDA matching program.  Most recently, to help them expand their services to the community, the Federation awarded the credit union with a $20,000 PRIDE deposit to setup an anti-predatory loan product in their community.
 
“Mr. Page and Mr. Scott are doing what it takes to eliminate the barriers to being financially self-sufficient in their community every day,” explained Federation Executive Director Clifford N. Rosenthal. “The Federation supports their efforts and those of all our members by offering specialized programs like the DOORS partnership, our Community Development Investments, professional development and training through our CDCU Institute; and of course through technical assistance.”

DOORS is a program of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, in partnership with AARP Tax-Aide, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, the National Disability Institute, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Credit unions interested in learning more about the DOORS program can contact Pamela Owens, Director of Education and Training at (212) 809-1850, ext. 215, or by email at: powens@cdcu.coop.

© 2007 National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions.