Your story is part of our story! 

Jason’s story

My story is not an easy story for me to type. My wife and I had a 20-year-old son with special needs and a rare genetic disorder that was incredibly hard on us financially. We often missed work due to his needs and hospital stays, and funding for him was hard to come by.

We ended up with a ton of credit card debt to keep him (and us) well and healthy. This was a vicious cycle that went on for a few years. We knew we needed to correct this debt, but it was a struggle to find a bank to help us.

We received a call from our Affinity advisor, and we explained the circumstances of our needs. She said she would do whatever it takes to help us – and she did just that. We were able to consolidate our debts, as well as keep a few dollars left over in the bank in case of emergencies.

Before the loan was even finalized, we lost our son to his disorder. He passed January 20, 2020, and a few days later, we finalized the loan. Had we not received this help, I'm not sure we would have made it through this year. It’s been incredibly difficult to say the least, but not having credit collectors phone us multiple times a day has certainly reduced the stress of our situation.

 We thank you for giving us the loan and really changing our lives for the better. I don't share this story for the prize money (although it would be handy). I share this story so you know that people out there just need to be given a chance, and with the right help, you can reduce debt stress. I couldn't have imagined what stress I would have right now if it wasn't for the care Affinity took looking after my family and our needs. I'm forever grateful. Thank you!

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Yvette's story

My whole family has banked at credit unions for most of my life. I remember going into our local branch when I was a kid – I would always get so excited because they had the best toys to play with! Even when mom finished her transactions, we'd ask her to stay a few more minutes so we could keep playing. My grandmother also held her accounts there and whenever she’d use the ATM, she'd let us push all the buttons for her.

When I was older, I opened my own account and got my first debit card when I was 16 years old. On the rare occasions I would go into the branch, I remember my favorite teller was a bald, younger gentleman who wore a South Park tie clip. He was always super nice and helped explain banking stuff to me.

In my final year of high school, a friend’s mom asked me what I was doing in the fall and I shared I was going to university for business administration. It turns out she was the Member Services Manager at my local credit union, and she suggested that I apply to be a summer student in the spring.

I held onto that idea for an entire year and it ended up being the only job I applied for that summer. I got it and ended up working with the bald tie clip man from my high school years! He was just as helpful at explaining how certain aspects of the job worked as he was helping me understand my personal finances.

Over the next two summers, I met a lot of great people and I enjoyed our close-knit frontline team. Sometimes we even coordinated clothes on random days - we'd all wear yellow or purple or stripes, even if there wasn't an event going on. I had a lot of fun volunteering with them as well.

After graduation, I was hunting for a job and looking for something at a credit union. I saw a listing at Affinity, applied and got the job! I worked at Scarth Street for three years, then as a Training Administrator for the past two years. I just celebrated by five-year anniversary with Affinity in May!

Aside from a restaurant gig while in high school, I’ve been working in the credit union system for my whole adult life. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m guessing I’ll be part of this world for many years to come.