News from Cooperative Federal, Syracuse s community development credit union. In this issue... (Click to jump to a story)

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1 Commonwealth Fall 2013 #102 News from Cooperative Federal, Syracuse s community development credit union. In this issue... (Click to jump to a story) Homeownership A True Member Story New Food Coop Open Hand s Festival COOPERATIVE Be A Hero! FEDERAL 5 Things You Can Do to Get Ready for Homeownership Life in Syracuse brings a lot of perks. We live in a place that looks like a city, but feels a lot like a small town. We re surrounded by breathtaking lakes, gorges and mountains, with some of the cleanest drinking water on the planet. Local agriculture yields a bounty of tasty and wholesome ingredients, both to our own kitchens and a growing list of fantastic, independent restaurants. We have a rich legacy of social activism, and our urban center is home to prestigious cultural, educational, and medical facilities. This list goes on and on, but there s one more perk that cannot be overlooked: Syracuse is one of THE most affordable places to own a home in the United States. Homeownership is a powerful tool for strengthening neighborhoods, and Building a Family A True Member Story Continued on Page 2 Loans from our credit union have helped many people establish a home or a business, but this may be the first time we re helping someone start a family! Kishi and Bradford Ducre took a personal loan to pay for some of the placement fees associated with the adoption of their first child. Kishi holds her doctorate in environmental justice and moved to Syracuse eight years ago to accept a faculty position at the University. She and her husband found a new home on a quiet street in the University neighborhood, and it wasn t long before she became a member of Cooperative Federal. Continued on Page 7 SINCE OUR FOUNDING DAYS, HAS RELIED ON THE SKILLS AND STEWARDSHIP OF VOLUNTEERS OUR MEMBERS HAVE SERVED AS TELLERS, LOAN REVIEWERS, PAINTERS, GARDENERS, ROOFERS, AND WRITERS Prepárese para ser THEY HAVE FIXED LEAKS, VOTED ON POLICY, propietario AND STUFFED THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF ENVELOPES Sabía usted que Syracuse WE HAVE COME A LONG es WAY uno OVER THE de PAST 3 DECADES, BUT BEHIND THE SCENES, WE ARE STILL A los sitios más económicos de los EEUU GRASSROOTS CO-OP: en términos de comprar una casa? No OWNED, obstante, CONTROLLED, aunque AND STEERED los precios sean bajos, el camino a BY comprar OUR MEMBER-OWNERS una casa puede ser largo. Y tan pronto como obtenga su casa, va a requerir una vigilancia constante para asegurarse que no la pierda destruyendo su crédito y perdiendo el valor de la propiedad en este proceso. Si usted está considerando hacerse propietario, le ofrecemos 5 cosas que puede hacer ahora para prepararse. 1. Ahorrar, ahorrar, ahorrar. Nunca es demasiado pronto para comenzara ahorrar para su casa. Necesita ahorrar no sólo para el depósito, sino también para emergencias y reparaciones de la casa. Qué hará si alguien en su familia se enferma de repente, o pierde su trabajo? O si se rompe el horno durante la primera tormenta de nieve del año? Necesita tener suficientes ahorros para seguir haciendo sus pagos de hipoteca e impuestos cuando las cosas están mal temporariamente y estar al tanto de los costos inevitables de reparación y mantenimiento de casa. 2. Conocimiento de su reporte de crédito. Si usted tiene cobranzas sin pagar, pagos atrasados, juicios abiertos, o ha agotado la línea de su tarjeta de crédito, puede ser muy difícil calificar para una hipoteca con una tasa baja de interés. Es esencial saber que los acreedores, del pasado y del presente, han reportado al buró de crédito, para que Usted pueda enmendar los errores, y formar un plan de acción para reparar su crédito. 3. Aumentar su capacidad crediticia. Tan pronto como Continua en la Pagina 3 Eastside Office Mailing Address Fall Westcott Street, Syracuse, NY Cooperative Federal Finance for the People since 1982 Tel: (315) info@coopfed.org Southwest Office Southwest Community Center Northside Office Assisi Center 401 South Avenue, Page Syracuse, 1 NY North Salina Street, Commonwealth Syracuse, NY #102

2 Homeownership, Continued building wealth that can be passed down to future generations helping to break the cycle of poverty and ensure that our children have a real shot at success. Yet, even with low real estate prices, the road to buying a home can be long and sometimes steep. And once you own a home, it takes constant vigilance to make sure you don t lose it tanking your credit and loosing your equity in the process. If you re considering homeownership, here are five things you can do NOW to start preparing. 1. Save, save, save. It s never too early to start saving for your home. You need savings not only for a downpayment, but for emergencies and home repairs. What will you do if someone in your household suddenly becomes ill, or gets laid off from work? Or if your furnace breaks during the first snowstorm of the year? What happens if both of those things happen at the same time? The first rule for successful homeownership is to expect the unexpected. You need to have enough savings to keep on paying your mortgage and taxes when things temporarily go awry and to keep up with the inevitable home maintenance and repair costs. ] Start Here: With Cooperative Federal s Homebuyer Matched Savings Program, you can earn up to $9,500 in down payment matching grants when you save $2,000! Along the way, our counselors will work with you to create a budget and savings Homebuyer Matched Savings Workshops First-time homebuyers can quadruple their savings toward home purchase through our Matched Savings Program. The combined fundscan be used for downpayment, closing, or pre-closingcosts! Attend an Enrollment Workshop to learn more. Call Kira Crawford at (315) for more information or to register. Syracuse is one of THE most affordable places to own a home in the United States.... Yet, even with low real estate prices, the road to buying a home can be long and steep. plan. Call (315) to register for a free Homebuyer Matched Savings Orientation Workshop. 2. Know what s on your credit report. You know that saying, what you don t know can t hurt you? Well, when it comes to your credit history, that is most definitely not true! If you have unpaid collections, late payments, open judgements, or maxed-out credit cards, it can be very difficult for you to qualify for a mortgage and get a nice, low interest rate. It s essential that you know what your current and past debtors have reported to the credit bureaus so that you can address blemishes, dispute errors, and make an action plan for getting your credit into good shape. ] Start Here: By federal law, you re entitled to a free copy of your credit report each year, from each of the 3 major credit bureaus TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. You can access these free reports at annualcreditreport.com. Or, if you d like hands-on help retrieving and deciphering your credit report, you can make an appointment with a Financial Counselor at Cooperative Federal. A $15 fee gets you a 30 minute consultation, and a copy of your credit report including your credit score (which is not included in the free reports from annualcreditreport.com). Call (315) for info or to make an appointment. 3. Boost your credit score. Once you understand what s on your credit report, you can take steps to improve your credit score! First, clear up delinquent debts or collections either by paying them off, requesting a payment plan, or disputing them (if you don t recognize the debt, or think you already paid it) and be sure to pay all of your bills on time, every month. Next, compare your credit balances to your credit limits. If you have three credit cards with a combined credit limit of $5,000, but you have a combined balance of $4,950, your credit score will take a real beating. Try to pay down your balances, request a higher credit limit, or even apply for a new card that you can keep at a $0 balance. (Make sure you can resist the temptation to use up any new credit you receive!) ] Start Here: The math behind your credit score is extremely complex, so make sure you understand how things work before you make major changes. Consult resources like myfico.com/crediteducation or, come to Cooperative Federal for expert advise that is tailored to your situation. We have several fantastic products that can help you deal with debt, such as free balance transfers to our low-rate credit card, debt consolidation loans, and a unique Credit Builder Club. Our Counselors can also help you make an action plan and track your progress over several months, or more! Call (315) to speak with a counselor, or (315) to speak with a loan officer. 4. Hit the books. Buying a home is a complicated process, and homeowners have many responsibilities. You need to arm yourself with Continued on Page 3 Commonwealth #102 Page 2 Fall 2013

3 knowledge to ensure that you get a good deal on a quality home you can truly afford, and to make sure you re prepared for the full scope of responsibilities that come with being a homeowner. Have a list of questions to ask sellers, realtors, insurance agents, and mortgage officers, and be sure that you know the pros and cons of different mortgage products. ] Start Here: There are many books and articles that you can use to educate yourself. You can also speak to a counselor at Cooperative Federal, or take a class with agencies such as Home HeadQuarters. Learn more about Home HeadQuarters homebuyer education classes at or call (315) x Plan ahead. There is a wealth of information and assistance available to homebuyers in Syracuse, from non-profits like Cooperative Federal, Home HeadQuarters, the Northeast Hawley Development Association (NEHDA), UNPA, Syracuse Model Continued on Page 8 Ojo, Continua Usted entienda lo que está en su reporte de crédito, puede tomar pasos para aumentar su puntaje de crédito. Lo más importante es establecer una buen historia de pago en todas sus deudas. Resolver los pagos atrasados puede pagarlos en su totalidad, o pidiendo un plan de repago, o tambíen puede cuestionarlos (si no reconoce la deuda, o si usted piensa que ya lo ha pagado) y asegurarse de pagar todos sus cuentas a tiempo cada mes. Luego, revise sus balances pendientes y compárelos con sus límites de crédito. Si tiene tres tarjetas de crédito con un límite de crédito total de $5,000, pero entre las tres debe un total de $4,950, eso va a dañar su puntaje de crédito. Intente pagar sus balances, solicite incremento de límite de crédito, o solicite una nueva tarjeta que puede mantener a un balance de $0. (Cuidado: Asegurarse de poder resistir la tentación de usar el nuevo crédito que recibe!) 4. Ser un buen estudiante. Comprar una casa es un proceso complejo, y los propietarios de casa tienen muchas responsabilidades. Usted necesita llenarse de conocimiento para asegurarse que obtenga un buen precio para una casa de calidad que usted pueda mantener, y que esté preparado para todas las responsabilidades de convertirse en propietario. Debe tener una lista de preguntas para hacer a los vendedores, agentes inmobilarios, agentes de seguro, y corredor hipotecario, y estar seguro de saber lo bueno y lo malo de los distintos productos hipotecarios. 5.Planificar. Hay una abundancia de información y ayuda que está disponible a los compradores de casa en Syracuse, pero independientemente de donde usted solicite ayuda, HAY QUE planificar! Si espera hasta que la casa de sus sueños aparezca a la venta en el mercado, puedes perder la oportunidad de asistencia financiera. Comprar una casa sin la educacíon y preparación adecuada puede resultar en más deuda de la que puede manejar, o puede pagar más de lo necesario. De todos modos, las consecuencias pueden ser serias: problemas con el flujo de caja, mayor deuda, e incluso la ejecución de la hipoteca. Listo para empezar? Cooperative Federal tiene muchos productos y servicios diseñado a ayudar a la gente a lograr su meta de comprar una casa. ] Homebuyer Matched Savings. Obtenga hasta $9,500 en subvenciones cuando ahorras $2,000 durante meses! Sobre la marcha, nuestros consejeros trabajaran con usted para crear un presupuesto y plan de ahorro, para que esté preparado a enfrentar los contratiempos antes y después de comprar su casa. (Aplican limites de ingreso.) Llama ae ] Construir el crédito. Nuestros consejeros pueden ayudarle a obtener y entender su reporte de crédito. Recibirá una copia de su reporte, incluyendo su puntaje de crédito. Podemos trabajar con Usted para crear un plan de acción y mejorar su puntaje. Además, tenemos productos fantásticos para ayudarle así a lidiar con su deuda, como transferencia de balance gratis a nuestra tarjeta de crédito con una tasa de interés baja, préstamos de consolidación de deuda, y nuestro exclusivo Club de Construir el Crédito. Llama a ] Asesoramiento para compradores de vivienda. Si tiene preguntas o necesita ayuda navegando en el proceso de comprar una vivienda, le podemos ayudar! Prepárese a comprar una casa con ayuda experta, a través de Home Base, nuestro programa de asesoramiento de comprar una vivienda (aprobado por HUD, el Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de los EEUU). Llama a Continua en la Pagina 4 Fall 2013 Page 3 Commonwealth #102

4 Cooperative Thinking A Column by Carl Mellor Fostering a Cooperative Economy In the last issue, I talked about how the proposed National Cooperative Development Act would pave the way for a fairer, stronger economy. This time let s look at the resources that do exist for cooperative development and how the cooperative economy is growing in our region. The primary resource in existence today is a network of centers that provide technical assistance, training and education for groups starting or already operating cooperative enterprises. In the Pacific Northwest, the Northwest Cooperative Development Center plays that role. In the Midwest, Cooperative Development Services serves communities in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. And in the Northeast region, the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI), based in Sherburne Falls, MA, covers New England and New York State. CDI, like its counterparts across the United States, doesn t certify cooperatives or approve their plans. It exists to support organizations embracing collaboration, democratic governance, and other cooperative principles. The groups they serve come in many flavors food co-ops, housing and healthcare providers, retail operations and others. cleaning supplies, offers an alternative to convenience stores with high prices and limited selections. Beyond that, it s situated in a new eco-efficient building, a rarity in a South Side neighborhood where that kind of construction hasn t happened for almost 40 years. Source: There are other positive implications as well. In an area where unemployment is rampant, Eat to Live provides jobs. It validates the notion of community control by operating as a member-owned organization. Most importantly, it challenges the notion that economic empowerment for an urban neighborhood is improbable and unrealistic. To be sure, the new cooperative didn t arise overnight. There were conversations with neighborhood residents, organizations working together under the leadership of the Southside Community Coalition, and an extensive campaign to generate funding for Eat to Live. Indeed, the coop received funds from 3 foundations, New York State, and entities such as Syracuse University and National Grid. All in all, the organizing process has taken more than 5 years. That mix mirrors the overall composition of the cooperative movement in the USA. CDI participants include dairy farmers in New England, the folks who founded the Liberty Ship Café in Richmond, California, and the roughly 200 taxi drivers who belong to Union Cab in Madison, Wisconsin. Union Cab is the largest taxi operation in Madison. When new cooperatives spring up, they reflect local needs and local energy. This summer, for example, a worker-owned venture in Boston began an innovative recycling project based on reusing left-overs from restaurants. The group composts food scraps for farmers and collects discarded vegetable oil for biofuels. In our own city, the Eat to Live Food Cooperative is just about to open its doors to the public at 2323 S. Salina St. The brand-new store, which will sell fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy, and Don t miss the 2013 New York Cooperative Summit! Saturday, September 28, 9:00 AM-5:30 PM South Side Innovation Center 2610 South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 1320 For more details, please visit Once it opens, Eat to Live is moving forward with an ambitious agenda including purchases from local farmers whenever possible, holding nutrition classes, and evaluating access issues. How can the store best serve people who have difficulty traveling to the South Salina St. site? This and other issues will be resolved by the co-op s staff and members who own the store. As in any cooperative, member participation is a critical resource. Find Eat to Live on Facebook to stay in the loop, and learn how you can become a memberowner. Ojo, Continua -Carl Mellor, Volunteer Columnist Un Nuevo Cooperativa de Comida Viene Pronto! Los negocios cooperativos son una herramienta importante para fortalecer las economías locales y crear un mundo que sea más justo para todos. En algunas cooperativas, como Cooperative Federal y cooperativas de comida, los socios son los propietarios; en otros, llamados cooperativas de empleos, los empleados son los propietarios. En cualquier caso, este modelo de negocio contradice el status quo, operando democráticamente y poniendo al pueblo primero. Continua en la Pagina 5 Commonwealth #102 Page 4 Fall 2013

5 Member Orginization Spotlight: Open Hand s Festival Welcomes You to the North Side When you think of puppets it s often on a small scale a mitten over one s hand with a jolly face and moving arms in the style of Mr. Roger s Neighborhood or Punch and Judy. But our friends at Open Hand Theater have completely exploded this idea from our childhood, using larger-than-life puppets to tell stories that celebrate the human experience. On September 14 from 11:00 AM-4:00 PM, the puppets from Open Hand s Castle at the corner of Prospect Avenue and North Salina Street will take to the streets for the International Arts & Puppet Festival, a free, family-friendly event filled with surprises. We re celebrating a sense of family, emphasizes Geoff Navias, Artistic Director at Open Hand. Truly, family is at the forefront of any Open Hand event, but the Festival will be on a much larger scale than we ve ever seen from the Theater before. Rooted in a variety of different cultures, attendees will enjoy an assortment of performances, music, art, and dance that will appeal to all generations. The idea of family will further extend to include camaraderie among businesses and organizations on the North Side. Geoff hopes that festivalgoers will treat the event like a North Side open house, taking the opportunity to venture out and explore the neighborhood. Several members of the Northside Business Partnership will offer specials to customers during the big day. Cooperative Federal may be relatively new to the North Side business family, but our ties run deep. Open Hand has been a member of our credit union for 25 years. It s been great to have the credit union join us over on the North Side by opening the local branch on North Salina Street, Geoff says. It s been a good partnership, investing locally and being able to gather and use our resources for building the community. The International Arts & Puppet Festival is another way Open Hand can bring people together and show families all of the great things happening on the North Side, including giant puppets walking about, he laughs. Unique performances are scheduled throughout the day of the Festival, and will include African drumming, South Indian dance, and a classical string quartet. There will be arts and crafts activities for kids and live painting performances. The International Arts & Puppet Festival is made possible, in part, by an Economic Development grant from the County of Onondaga, administered by CNY Arts. Stay tuned to Open Hand Theater s website ( for more details. We ll see you there! Ojo, Continua -Mary Beth Schwartzwalder Marketing Specialist Syracuse ya tiene varias cooperativas, pero hay una nueva que abrirá este otoño. Después de varios años de planificar, organizar, y recaudar fondos, un grupo de activistas del South Side están preparándose para abrir Eat to Live (Comer para Vivir). Su nuevo edificio en 2323 S Salina St. acaba de ser terminado, y pronto vendrán productos agrícolas frescos, comestibles, y otras cosas para la casa. La tienda será abierta al público, pero también puede convertirse en socio propietario! Encuéntrelos en Facebook (/EatToLiveFoodCoop) para estar informado. Open Hand performers at a past event Divertirse con la familia en la feria internacional de las artes y las marionetas Una de las organizaciones únicas en el membresía de Cooperative Federal es Open Hand Theater (Teatro de la Mano Abierta), un grupo de artistas que usa marionetas enormes para contar cuentos que celebran la experiencia humana. El 14 de Septiembre, desde las 11:00 AM hasta las 4:00 PM, las marionetas del Castillo de Open Hand (en la esquina de Prospect Avenue y North Salina Street) saldrán a la calle durante La Feria Internacional de las Artes y Las Marionetas, un evento gratis para la familia lleno de sorpresas. Actuaciones serán programadas a través del día, no sólo marionetas sino la danza del sur de India, una banda de Continua en la Pagina 6 Coming this October, don t miss Open Hand Theater s A World of Puppets performance season! Beginning October 5, children are invited to the Castle on N. Salina Street for two magical performances each month. Visit for more details. Fall 2013 Page 5 Commonwealth #102

6 AND WE STILL NEED OUR MEMBERS TO BE INVOLVED AND ENGAGED IN ORDER FOR OUR CREDIT UNION TO GROW AND THRIVE PAID INTERNSHIP Help staff our Youth Credit Union Program at Henninger, Fowler, and Nottingham Schools. SINCE OUR FOUNDING DAYS, COOPERATIVE FEDERAL HAS RELIED ON THE SKILLS AND STEWARDSHIP OF VOLUNTEERS OUR MEMBERS HAVE SERVED AS TELLERS, LOAN REVIEWERS, PAINTERS, GARDENERS, ROOFERS, AND WRITERS THEY HAVE FIXED LEAKS, VOTED ON POLICY, AND STUFFED THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF ENVELOPES WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY OVER THE PAST 3 DECADES, BUT BEHIND THE SCENES, WE ARE STILL A GRASSROOTS CO-OP: OWNED, CONTROLLED, AND STEERED BY OUR MEMBER-OWNERS TALK ABOUT US Tell your employer or local community center about the educational programs and services we offer. LEND A HAND Join our Building & Grounds Committee, volunteer in our fi nancial education and outreach department, or help us move forward with adoption of Green Business Standards. BE A LEADER Nominate yourself for the Board of Directors or Credit Committee, and learn what it takes to run Coop Fed. Elections are every March. SPEAK UP! Let us know what you love, what you hate, what you d like to see us do differently. We appreciate hearing from our members! INTERESTED IN BEING A HERO? Contact Rachel Greene: call or rachelgreene@coopfed.org Ojo, Continua tambores africanos, y un cuarteto de cuerdas clásico. Habrán actividades de arte para los niños, representaciones de pintura en vivo, y ofertas especiales de los negocios locales. Unase a Cooperative Federal, Open Hand, el resto de la comunidad del Northside para un día increíble! Continua en la Pagina 7 Commonwealth #102 Page 6 Fall 2013

7 Ojo, Continua Sea un héroe del Credit Union Desde nuestros días de fundación, Cooperative Federal ha confiado en los talentos y la gestión de nuestros voluntarios. Nuestros socios han servido como cajeros, escritores, pintores, jardineros, techadores y evaluadores de préstamos. Ellos han arreglado goteras, votado en la elección de la política de nuestra organización, y empaquetado miles y miles de sobres. Hemos logrado mucho en las últimas tres décadas, pero todavía necesitamos que nuestros socios sigan involucrados para que nuestra organización sea exitosa. Aquí hay algunas maneras en las que Usted puede ayudar! Dile a tu empleador sobre los programas educativos y servicios que ofrecemos. Hágase socio de nuestro Building and Grounds Committee, o en nuestra oficina de educación financiera. Nomínese para nuestra Mesa de Directores o Comité de Crédito Denos su opinión! Diganos lo que le encanta, lo que odia, y lo que le gustaría cambiar. Llama a Raquelita a para participar. Construyendo una Familia: Historia verdadera de una de nuestras socias Los préstamos de nuestra cooperativa han ayudado a muchas personas a establecerse como propietarios de su propia casa o negocio, pero esta puede ser la primera vez que estamos ayudando a alguien a empezar una familia! Kishi y Bradford Ducre tomaron un préstamo personal para pagar algunos de los cargos de adopción de su primer niño. Kishi se mudó a Syracuse hace ocho años para aceptar un posición en la facultad de la Universidad de Syracuse. Ella y su esposo encontraron una casa en una calle tranquila en el vecindario de la Universidad, y poco tiempo despúes ella se hizo socia de Cooperative Federal. Su carrera progresó rápidamente, se ganó la permanencia; recientemente le ofrecieron la cátedra del departamento de Estudios Afro- Americano. Sobre la marcha, Kishi y Bradford vinieron a Cooperative Federal para ayudarles a mantener las finanzas en orden incluyendo una transferencia de balance a nuestro programa de tarjeta de crédito la primavera pasada. Con esta transacción ellos obtuviernon una tasa de interés más baja y al mismo tiempo apayaron las finanzas de la comunidad, Kishi ganó un Kindle Fire a través de nuestro concurso Gana, Gana, Continua en la Pagina 8 Building A Family, Continued Her career has progressed rapidly. She earned her tenure, and was recently named chair of the African-American Studies Department. Along the way, Kishi and Bradford turned to Cooperative Federal for help with keeping their finances in check including making a balance transfer to our credit card this past spring. In addition to getting a lower interest rate and the satisfaction of supporting community finance, Kishi won a Kindle Fire through our Win, Win, Win balance transfer contest. Getting a family started has not gone as smoothly. A devastating stillbirth in 2008 was followed by a period of infertility. Finally, Kishi and Bradford started pursuing other options. They probably know more about the options available than most people. They have an adopted niece, as well as a close friend who is adopted. The couple was told that, once they had completed their home study, it would take about 10 months to match them with an available baby. Less than two weeks later, over the Fourth of July long weekend, they got the call. Members Kishiand Bradford at their Westcott neighborhood home. Bradford s parents also fostered 25 children over the years. Given all the options for adoption and fostering, they felt the best choice for them was an open adoption of a newborn through a private agency. Kishi prefers this option because the mother chooses you and you know who the mother is. I think that s the best arrangement for our family. As their child grows up, they will send pictures to the birth mother through the agency. Later on, if both parties decide they would like more contact, it can be arranged through the agency. As Kishi describes it, You choose your level of openness. The credit union became an important part of the process in July when an infant suddenly became available. The couple was told that, once they had completed their home study, it would take about 10 months to match them with an available baby. Less than two weeks later, over the Fourth of July long weekend, they got the call. Kishi describes her call to Coop Fed on July 5 as desperate. Our lobbies were packed with members preparing for a long holiday weekend, and some staff were on vacation. In spite of the frantic circumstances, the credit union approved the loan in just a few days. But it just wasn t fast enough. Kishi recalls, I missed out on my first placement because I didn t have the money in place. Since then, the Ducres have been on a bit of a roller coaster. Far from waiting ten months, they have already had several calls for permission to show their profile to potential birth moms. Meanwhile, Kishi and Bradford are stocking up on diapers and formula and, with the help of Cooperative Federal, they are financially prepared for the call that will change their lives. -Barbara Kobritz, Outreach Volunteer Photos by Stasya Erickson, Board of Directors Fall 2013 Page 7 Commonwealth #102

8 Ojo, Continua Gana de transferencia de balance. Empezar una familia no ha sido fácil. El devastador nacimiento de un bebé muerto fue seguido por un periodo de infertilidad. Finalmente, Kishi y Bradford empezaron a perseguir otras opciones, y se decidieron por una adopción abierta con una agencia privada. Kishi prefiere esta opción porque la madre te escoge a ti, y tu sabes quién es la madre. Pienso que es el mejor acuerdo para nuestra familia. Mientras su niño crece, ellos pueden enviar fotos a la mamá biológica a través de la agencia. Como explica Kishi, Tu puedes escoger su nivel de apertura. El credit union se convirtio en una parte importante del proceso de adopción en Julio cuando un infante estuvo disponible inesperadamente. Les informaron a la pareja que tan pronto como completaron el estudio casero, sería cerca de 10 meses para emparejarlos con un niño disponible. Menos que dos semanas después, durante la festividad del 4 de Julio, ellos recibieron la llamada. Kishi describe su llamada a Cooperative Federal el 5 de julio como desesperada. Nuestros vestíbulos estaban llenos de gente preparándose para la fiesta del 4 de Julio, y algunos empleados estaban de vacaciones. A pesar de las circunstancias frenéticas, el credit unión aprobó el préstamo en solo pocos días. Pero eso no fue suficiente. Kishi recuerda Yo perdí el primer puesto porque no tenía el dinero en ese momento. Desde entonces, la vida para los Ducres ha sido un poco como subirse en una montaña rusa. En vez de esperar diez meses, ellos ya han recibido varios llamadas para pedirles autorización a compartir su perfil a madres biológicas potenciales. Mientras tanto, Kishi y Bradford están acumulando pañales y leche de fórmula y, con la ayuda de Coop Fed, están preparados financieramente para la llamada que cambiará sus vidas. -Traducido por Rachel Greene y Patricia Farfan-Cáceres Homeownership, Continued Neighborhood Corporation, Jubilee Homes and Empire Housing. But no matter where you seek help, one fact remains the same: you MUST plan ahead!! If you wait until that dreamy little bungalow down the block hits the market, you can miss out on a great deal of financial assistance. For example, Empire Housing provides grants to renovate and rehabilitate aged homes, but you need to apply for those grants before you close on your mortgage in order to qualify. (Check out Rushing into a mortgage without proper preparation and education can also lead you to take on more debt that you can handle, or to pay much more than you really need to. Either way, the consequences can be serious: tight cash flow, mounting debt, and even foreclosure. Owning your own home is a fantastic feeling, and we re so lucky to live in a place where even people of modest means can achieve that goal. But like all of the best things in life, homeownership takes hard work and dedication and you don t need to figure it out all on your own! When you re ready to get started, Cooperative Federal will be waiting. -Meagan Weatherby Program Sustainability & Outreach Coordinator SPECIAL HOURS Monday 10/14 CLOSED for Indigenous People s Day (Columbus Day) Monday 11/11 CLOSED for Veteran s Day Thursday 11/28 CLOSED for Thanksgiving Got Feedback? We want to hear from you. Send questions & comments to: Board of Directors: board@coopfed.org Staff - General: info@coopfed.org Staff - Member Service: memberservice@coopfed.org Sign-up to receive the Commonwealth Newsletter in your ! Visit Signing up is safe! We never share our list with third parties. Federally insured by NCUA Syracuse Cooperative Federal Credit Union - Established 1982 Our mission is to rebuild the local economy in ways that foster justice, serve people and communities that are underserved by for-profit financial institutions, and responsibly manage our members aggregate assets. Commonwealth #102 Page 8 Fall 2013