Business View Magazine June 2023

114 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 6 has to show up everywhere, over and over and over again, every street fair and barber shop, every community gathering or meeting. It is about visibility, but it is also about being a real part of the community. Many people, even the credit union staff, have been there themselves and understand what the clientele are facing. They truly want to make a difference. Over the past year or so Alternatives has doubled their lending in another nearby area, Elmira, NY that was hit hard by the Pandemic. 91% of those loans went to families making less than 80% of the area median income. They have been doing business there without a physical location, but the need is so great they will be opening their first branch there soon. “Our top priority is to keep showing up,” concludes Mietlicki, “we need to be present in our communities because we need to build that trust back up. We are helping people to get out of the vicious cycle of debt that leaves them just paying interest and never getting ahead. And we are doing it to help people, and to help communities, and we know we are making a real difference.” PREFERRED VENDOR/ PARTNER n Visa visa.com/communityissuers Visa is a trusted network and world leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere.