Interns with Disabilities Charting a New Path at Credit Unions

The Building Economic Strength Together (BEST) program is a collaborative project that provides an internship opportunity for people with disabilities. BEST was developed by a partnership between the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (the Federation), the National Disability Institute (NDI) and Allies Inc., a New Jersey based training group for people with disabilities. The program has been funded by Kessler Foundation for two years (2010-2012) and is being piloted at New Jersey credit unions.  The goal of the program is to strengthen the connection between credit unions and the disability community.  The disability community is large with many unbanked and underbanked people.  The BEST Internship Program serves as a way to reach out to this large and growing population in a meaningful way.  Since the beginning of the credit union movement in the early 1900’s, there has been a philosophy of “people helping people.”  Credit unions have always been a safe haven for people of modest means to save and build assets. Credit unions typically have fewer fees and are more people-centered.  They have reached out to populations that were not served by traditional banking institutions.   

The BEST Internship program conducts a two-week job training course for program participants who then participate in a six-week paid internship at a participating credit union. The Internship prepares individuals with disabilities for entry-level positions in the financial services industry by providing training, internship placements at New Jersey credit unions and placement assistance into competitive employment following the completion of the internship. The program aims to teach and emphasize transferable work readiness skills, improve participants’ financial literacy and financial behaviors, and highlight the benefit of and develop support for the hiring of individuals with disabilities among New Jersey financial institutions. Training for the interns is paid for and conducted by the partner organizations through the Kessler grant.

Participating credit unions attend a one-day training event designed to inform them about working with people with disabilities in their credit unions. The session is facilitated by NDI with support from Allies and the Federation.  This training includes information on the Americans with Disabilities Act, the BEST Internship program’s goals, expectations of credit unions, descriptions of supported employment and the role job coaches in the internship process. The training also includes tips for supervising and supporting employees with disabilities. The training emphasizes “people first” language, how to ask if an intern needs help and how to interact with interns supported by interpreters or service animals.

Support for BEST is strong among both credit unions and the New Jersey Credit Union League through its REAL Solutions program. Twenty interns have been hosted by thirteen credit unions during the first year of the program. The League will host a BEST intern for 2011.

New Jersey credit unions have the opportunity to participate in a program that will serve as a national model.  Jennifer Seder of Healthcare Employees FCU which hosted two interns for 2010 said, “Our involvement in the BEST Intern Program has been a truly rewarding experience. It has allowed us an opportunity to explore ways to understand the needs of the disability community, a typically underbanked market segment, while at the same time providing a hands on approach for our interns to learn about the credit union industry from the inside out." 

The BEST Internship program has also received media coverage and recognition. The independent commercial TV station WMBC based in North Jersey featured a segment on the BEST. They visited New Community FCU to interview the credit union staff and BEST intern Crystal Castro. Crystal is a person who is deaf and had difficulty finding employment. “It has been difficult to find a good job because it seems like employers don’t want to hire me because I am deaf, even though I am a hard worker and have many good skills," she said through a sign-language interpreter.  She learned about the internship, applied and was accepted as a BEST intern. Crystal completed her internship at New Community FCU, received an excellent letter of recommendation from the credit union and now feels better prepared to for the job market. 

The program has also received special recognition in the credit union movement.  BEST received the Dora Maxwell Award for Social Responsibility from the New Jersey League and placed 3^rd in the national competition. This is one of the most prestigious awards in the credit union movement. Dora Maxwell was a pioneer in the credit union movement in the 1930’s and 1940’s who had a commitment to community and social development.  BEST will be recognized at the annual Credit Union Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) in February.

The new BEST Interns begin in March. Program partners the Federation, NDI and Allies are looking forward to building upon the many successes of the first year. The BEST Interns have helped credit unions modify some of the product to make them more accessible including various audio and online services and suggested adding new loan products specific to the disability community including one for assistive technology equipment. One result beyond the initial parameters of the program has been the hiring of four interns as employees of the credit unions.

If you would like more information on the BEST program, please contact Pamela Owens, Director of Education and Training, the Federation at (212) 809-1850, Ext. 215 or via email at powens@cdcu.coop.

About the Federation

The National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (Federation) is a certified CDFI Intermediary representing more than 235 community development credit unions (CDCUs) providing credit, savings, transactional services and financial education to more than 1.5 million residents of low-income urban, rural and reservation-based communities nationwide. Founded in 1974, the Federation offers a wide range of advocacy, education, training, investment, marketing, and outreach programs to support and assist CDCUs. Headquartered in Lower Manhattan, the Federation operates offices in Colorado Springs, CO; Madison, WI; and San Francisco, CA.  For more information about the Federation and its programs, please visit www.cdcu.coop.