Ascentra Credit Union | A Trusted Iowa & Illinois Credit Union | Ascentra

Ascentra Credit Union | A Trusted Iowa & Illinois Credit Union | Ascentra
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Making Cents
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Our goal is to help you, our member, navigate your financial challenges by offering personalized support and guidance.
The Making Cents Financial Coaching Program
is about building a relationship with you, where we listen deeply and seek to understand your financial behaviors, needs and goals.
We understand that every person's financial journey is unique, and we're here to meet you where you are, without judgement.  By focusing on you, we will help you craft a personalized plan to flex your financial muscles and build lasting financial strength. We invite you to schedule an appointment with an Ascentra Financial Coach TODAY!
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07
May
Retirement Readiness: Smart Strategies for a Secure Future
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Join First Community Trust and Ascentra Credit Union for an upcoming free seminar discussing strategies to get retirement ready, maximize your benefits, and secure your future.
09
May
Shred-It Day - Bettendorf 2026
10 AM - 12 PM
Bring in your confidential papers and we will shred and dispose of them for free!
14
May
Mortgages and Margaritas
6 PM - 8 PM
This free, relaxed session will break down the homebuying process, explain mortgage options, and give you the confidence to take the next step toward homeownership.
What's New at Ascentra
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Making Cents
Apr 1, 2026
Making Cents of Car Buying
Making Cents
Feb 5, 2026
Making Cents of Generational Wealth
Picture this: it’s the first of the month… your bank account is near empty… and rent is due.
So… you go to a payday lender to fill in the gap until you get paid… but then your car breaks down and you have to borrow again… digging a hole of debt that’s hard to get out of.
These scenarios happen to millions of Americans each year… but I’m here to help you not make a tough situation into a financial disaster.
In this video, I will tell you what predatory financial services to watch out for… how they operate… and better solutions to save you both money and stress.
Predatory services deceive or exploit borrowers to get them to accept unfair or abusive terms on loans that they don’t need, want or can’t afford.
Payday loans or cash-advance loans for example… are usually short-term loans you are supposed to pay off in about two weeks.
You get quick cash with no credit check and very little asked… which might sound good when rent is due or your car breaks down… but the reality?
High fees equaling between 300-to-800-percent APR make paying it off difficult… and if you can’t pay it back in time… they will gladly extend your loan… for additional fees.
These businesses say that they are filling a short-term need that banks and credit unions are not.
This may be true in some cases… but not all of them.
The truth is more than 80 percent of payday loans are reborrowed within a month… and according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau… one out of every four are reborrowed nine times or more!
That means a lot of borrowers are paying more in just fees than the amount they borrowed in the first place!
They make more money when people have a hard time repaying their loan and they are counting on it.
Not only do they prey on those who don’t have many options and need quick cash...
Some also prey on those who work but don’t have mainstream financial services.
Payday loan businesses may also offer check-cashing services for a fee for people who don’t have a financial institution.
It might be a charge of five dollars for every hundred dollars cashed… but if you think about it… that’s 50 bucks just to cash a thousand-dollar check.
If you’re paid every two weeks… that’s 1,300 dollars a year!
Most credit unions have savings or checking accounts that allow you to cash a check for free… and if you have direct deposit, you save both money… and time you’d normally waste going to these predatory businesses.
To get money fast… some people also turn to pawn shops by handing over jewelry, electronics, and other valuables… and taking a loan against them.
They draw people in by advertising loans with no credit check… and may use pressure to close the deal by saying “this offer is good for today only.”
Pawn loans are usually much less than the items are worth…
They come with high interest rates or fees… and most must be repaid within 30-to-90 days.
The kicker?
If you don’t pay it off on time… they may offer to let you extend the loan for additional fees… or they will resell your prized possession and pocket the profit.
In a 2019 survey… 73 percent of pawn borrowers reported still owing money six months later.
Now… for higher-dollar loans… some people go to car title lenders.
They function a lot like pawn shops… offering low-ball loans with high-interest rates in exchange for your car’s title.
They typically don’t do an income verification or credit check because they don’t care if you can’t pay it back.
Your car is the collateral.
If you default… you take another loan to cover it… or you’re losing your car.
Many times, car title lenders will partner with or run their own dealerships… making money off of whatever payments you already made… and profiting directly from the sale of your car.
If you’re in a situation where you are debating on getting a payday, pawn shop or car title loan… consider getting a personal loan through your credit union.
You would not only get a longer payoff timeline… but better terms and rates.
You can even use your car’s title as collateral for the loan and get a better rate… but unlike car title lenders… credit unions do run a credit check and verify your income to make sure you’re getting a deal you can afford.
If you don’t have great credit, you may be thinking there are no other options.
Not true.
Credit unions will work with people by offering alternatives to these predatory services.
Ascentra Credit Union has a service called “Cash-Now”, which allows members to borrow up to two thousand dollars without a credit check and get approval within minutes on the Ascentra app.
While we don’t run credit to approve the loan… we do report to the credit bureaus so you can build your credit as you pay it back.
Borrowers must be members of Ascentra for at least 90 days, with at least 60 days of deposit history, and loan terms vary by amount borrowed.
While payday and title loans are often the first things people think about when they hear “predatory lenders”… rent-to-own stores may fly under the radar… but can also be very costly.
Typically, they’re lending out furniture or appliances that you pay for weekly or monthly… and after you’ve finished the contract, you own the items.
They make it sound affordable…
“Just 30 dollars a week for this couch and eventually it’s yours!”
But here’s the catch… that 600-dollar couch could cost you two thousand dollars by the time you’re done.
Even their “buy now” or “same as cash” price is often double what you’d pay at a regular store.
Also keep in mind that not everyone finishes their contracts, so many items get returned to the store and rented out to someone else.
You may be paying top-dollar on an already used item that they may sell as “new to you!”.
Some rent-to-own stores brag that they don’t charge interest… but instead have incredibly high mark-ups which range from 43-to-468 percent APR.
It would be much cheaper to go to a regular store and pay cash or even put the charge on a credit card.
Ascentra’s highest credit card rate is 17.88 percent APR, which is well below the 400 percent you could be paying at rent-to-own stores.
Better credit scores get even lower rates.
Now… it’s not just suspect storefronts you should be avoiding.
Let’s talk bigger stakes, like rent-to-own homes or contract mortgages.
They sound simple…
You just pay an upfront fee or downpayment… then pay rent until you own the home.
But… it’s not that simple.
The contracts are typically written up by a lawyer who makes sure the deal benefits the seller… not you.
Sellers often target people who can’t qualify for a traditional mortgage… so buyers end up paying high interest rates and there’s usually a balloon payment at the end of the contract period.
That means the contract is structured so the monthly payments are less than what would actually pay off the loan… so when the contract ends… you still owe.
At that point… you have to pay the rest off as a lump sum.
If you can’t make that balloon payment or break any of the terms of the contract like paying rent late, having a pet, or smoking in the home, you could lose the house… and all of the money you put into it… including that downpayment.
Not only that… but many hopeful homeowners make updates to their property, like landscaping, home repairs, or renovations… and they lose out on those investments too.
If you’re looking to buy a home but don’t have enough saved up or need to work on your credit… you’re probably better off renting until you’re able to qualify for a traditional mortgage with a credit union.
At least while you rent… your landlord should take care of the home repairs and you have the ability to get your deposit back at the end of your lease.
Now, whether you have a goal to buy your home or just take control of your finances, Ascentra’s financial coaches can work with you on building credit, creating a budget you can stick to, and developing long-term strategies to get out and stay out of debt.
Once you’re ready for a traditional mortgage… you can get into a home with a fair interest rate, a longer payoff timeline and no surprise balloon payment.
Sometimes predatory services may look like a lifeboat when you feel like you’re financially drowning… but really, they’re just an anchor.
However, with a trusted financial institution, you don’t just stay afloat… you find solid ground…
So, avoid the traps, stay in control of your finances and steer toward the financial future you deserve.
Making Cents
Nov 1, 2025
Making Cents of Predatory Lending
If you've ever looked at your bank account and thought… "
where the heck did all my money go?
"… you’re
definitely
not alone.
The good news?
You don’t need a finance degree to get back on track.
My name is alvaro and today i’m breaking down budgets.
I’ll explain how to create money habits that
actually
stick… how to build a budget that works for
you
… what to do with
extra money
… and what to do if there’s
not
any extra.
Let’s get into it.
First… the keys to creating a good budget are:
Keep it simple
Keep it real
And
keep up on it
When i say
keep it simple
… that’s because many people overcomplicate it.
They go to Microsoft Excel and create these elaborate budgets with formulas and other unnecessary add-ons… then overwhelm themselves and give up.
It doesn’t have to be
that
involved.
Next…
keep it real
… because you want to be
honest
with yourself when it comes to spending.
You don’t have to show anyone so there’s no need to be embarrassed.
If you are a
smoker
… a
coffee shop regular
… a fast-food
lunch-er
… make sure you’re marking that down.
Not only does it make your budget more
reliable
… but it helps you pinpoint the areas you could focus on making changes to later if your budget needs more breathing room.
You also need to
keep up on it
Reference it at
least
as often as you get paid.
For most people... That’s every two weeks… but some people get paid every week or monthly… so you may need to adjust accordingly.
Since not all bills are due at the same time… some pay periods may have more money leftover than others.
Referencing your budget each time you get paid helps you track what’s due… and lets you know what extra money you’ll have until your next payday.
According to
finance-guru Dave Ramsey
53-percent
of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck… including more than
a-third
of people earning over 100-thousand dollars per year!
It’s not always about having more
money
… but just having a better
plan
Now… budget plans are not a
one-size-fits-all
solution… so I’m going to go over
a few
options so you can determine what’s right for
you
… starting by using technology.
There are many budgeting apps available… but the easiest way to keep on track is to use one that does the work for you.
Budgeting apps each have their own strengths depending on your goals.
Some are better for tracking spending… others help with debt payoff… or even wealth building.
One thing they all have in common is the ability to access your budget whenever you need it.
That way you can check what you have to spend before going out with friends… and avoid accidently overdrafting your account or not having enough when rent is due.
Apps are also great for building
habits
Reminders and spending alerts encourage you to check your budget more often… and visual tracking, like colorful graphs, make understanding your budget easier.
For ascentra credit union members…
financial tools
on the ascentra app has very useful budgeting features.
It allows you to create your budget… breaks your spending into categories… and shows how close you are to your budgeted amount.
You can track spending by months… look for trends… and even connect to other financial institutions so you can keep track of
all
of your accounts in one place.
Setting up bill pay through the app allows you to automatically make payments to help you stay on track
and
avoid late fees from missed payments.
For those who are
less
tech-savvy… the old school
pencil and paper method
is the most commonly used budget… and is
exactly
what it sounds like.
Using loose paper or a notebook… you write out your income and expenses by hand.
Make sure you include all forms of income… your paycheck, side-hustle money, child support, alimony, social security benefits… and anything else coming in.
Then… you do the same with your expenses.
This can be a
bit
harder because there’s typically more streams of money going
out
than coming
in
… plus most people buy groceries or gas a few times each month.
I recommend grabbing your last couple of bank statements to help you figure out an average of what your spending… and when.
There are many templates you can find online or just go to ascentra’s website.
You can customize your template to match your needs… and plug the numbers into it.
Remember to be honest and include
all
of your expenses.
Once you have both totals… add up each section… and then subtract your expenses from your income.
What’s leftover is your’s to decide how to spend.
The next budget I’m going to tell you about is
similar
to the pen-and-paper budget… but in this one… there’s no balance left over -- every dollar has a job.
The
zero-based budget
assigns a goal for your
entire income
Let’s say you make three-thousand dollars.
You would assign
all
three-thousand across savings, bills, groceries, gas, entertainment and so on… until there’s nothing left
unassigned
For people who are looking for a looser framework or are newer to budgeting… the
50-30-20 budget
simplifies spending into three groups.
Here’s how it breaks down your paycheck:
50-percent
is budgeted for
needs
… like rent, groceries, or insurance…
30-percent
goes to
wants
… like dining out, hobbies, or streaming services…
And
20-percent
goes to
savings
or
paying down debt
A benefit to this plan is that it helps avoid overspending by setting clear boundaries between wants and needs.
For someone who overspends
easily
… the
envelope system
may be a good alternative.
With this budget… as soon as you get paid… you take out what you need for different spending categories… and divide it into multiple envelopes.
All the money you need for groceries goes into one envelope… gas into another… bills in a third envelope and so on.
Once an envelope is empty… you stop spending in that category.
This system helps you avoid overdrafting your account… by preventing you from overspending.
Studies show that using cash and physically seeing money depleting causes people to spend less.
Some people even take it a step further… giving themselves a daily envelope budget.
For instance… say you have three-hundred dollars left after filling your bills, groceries, and other “necessity” envelopes.
Instead of using
one
envelope to spend the three-hundred dollars throughout the month… you could break that into a daily envelope of ten dollars per day.
What you don’t spend can roll into the next day’s envelope… and if you move leftover funds multiple times… you can use that to treat yourself or put into savings.
Speaking of savings… the last method is the
pay-yourself-first budget
which focuses on building wealth.
With this plan… before you pay
any
bills… you first move money to savings or investments.
Then you live on what’s left.
Direct depositing some of your paycheck into your savings account can help make this easier… and when it’s “
out of sight, out of mind
”, you’re less likely to dip into the savings.
So… what do you do with that savings or other leftover money?
First… establish an emergency fund.
Aim to save for two months of living expenses in case of something major like a job layoff or time out of work due to injury or illness.
Other emergencies to save for could be home or car repairs.
Ideally you want to have some cash reserves so you’re not maxing out your credit cards everytime something happens and putting yourself into debt.
On that note… you should also use extra funds to focus on paying down debt.
Not
only
will that free up more money for you to spend on wants… but it helps
save you money
and can
build credit
Unless you have a zero-percent-interest introductory offer… loans and credit cards come with interest rates…
So
the
longer
you owe money and the
higher
the balance… the
more
money you have to pay.
Your credit score is also partially determined by your
credit usage
… in other words… the amount of credit available to you that you’re using.
As you pay down debt and
lower
the usage… your credit score will go
up
I also spoke about this in our credit score video… so make sure to check that out if you haven’t seen it yet.
After you have paid down debt and set aside money for emergencies… then you can focus on your wants and treating yourself or your family.
We call these “opportunity funds”.
You can create a savings account for a vacation, presents for the holidays, something nice for
yourself
… or even sports or program costs for your
kids
Now… what if you figure out your budget and there’s
no
money leftover for savings or paying debt?
What if
instead
you have a negative number and owe
more
than you’re bringing in?
Well… you need to make changes… and
fast
Start by looking at your expenses and seeing where you can cut back.
This goes back to what i said about being honest about what you’re spending so you can identify easy changes if you have to.
If you are a coffee-shop regular… think about making drinks at home and treating yourself to a barista-made specialty once a week as a treat instead.
recent survey
shows the average american worker spends about 16-dollars per day on lunch.
Packing your lunch could save you about 80-dollars each week.
That’s 320-dollars each month… or four-thousand-160-dollars per
year
I don’t know about you… but i could do a
lot
with an extra four-grand a year.
Another easy way to cut costs is to cut the cord on streaming services.
Maybe it’s just
me
… but
don’t have enough time to watch
entire
libraries of
five
different streaming services every month…
So… try dropping down to
one
or
two
If a new show comes out on a different service… drop one and then sign up for the other one…
Binge-watch what you want… and then drop it again before the next billing cycle.
Most streaming services don’t charge you fees for dropping… so you don’t need to feel locked into paying for services you
might
only use every few months.
After you’ve gone through what you can cut back… then you should look at your debt.
Can you lower any interest rates?
According to
lending-tree
… the average interest rate for new credit cards by mainstream companies is 24-point-three-five percent.
Credit unions are more competitive and members with better credit scores get better rates.
If you have high credit card debt and a high interest rate… consider rolling that debt onto a card with a lower rate.
A consolidation loan may
also
be an option and can help you in a number of ways.
They combine multiple loan or credit card payments into
one
at a lower interest rate.
It can save you money
and
help you pay on time since it’s easier to remember
one
due date instead of
several
For insight on how consolidation loans can also help your credit… check out the credit score video i mentioned before.
Once you have your debt handled and begin to see your savings grow… you will understand that budgeting
isn’t
about restricting you from spending.
Every step you take toward
financial improvement
is a step toward
financial freedom
You're not just tracking
dollars
… you’re building
peace of mind
reducing stress
, and
creating options
for your
future
Start
small
… stay
consistent
… and eventually you can stop wondering where your money
went
… and instead tell it
where to go
You’ve got this.
Thanks for watching… and remember… there’s
no
wrong
or
right
way
to budget… you just have to find the way that works best for
you
Making Cents
Sep 24, 2025
Making Cents of Budgeting
Did you know your credit score could be costing you thousands of dollars without you even realizing it?
I’m Alvaro and in this video I’m going to go over what makes up your credit score… what hurts it… how to improve it… and how it can affect your finances.
Let’s start with the basics.
What actually makes up your credit score?
A credit score is a number between 300-to-850… given to a borrower… that gives lenders an idea of how much they can trust a debt to be repaid.
It's used when you apply for a mortgage, car loan or credit card… but it goes much further beyond lending… which I’ll explain later.
There are five key factors that determine your score:
Payment history
Credit usage
Credit age
Mix of credit
And hard inquiries.
Now…your “payment history” is the biggest factor… making up 40-percent of the score.
This measures your on-time payments and any late or unpaid payments… regardless of the amount.
One missed payment can take two years to recover from… but recent payments matter more than older ones.
Once a debt is paid off or negative information is reported… it can stay on your credit report for seven-to-ten years.
Next… we have “credit usage” which makes up 23-percent of your score.
It measures how much of your available credit you’re using.
Most experts say to stay below 30-percent usage.  This means if you have nine-thousand dollars of credit available to you, try to use three thousand or less.
If you max out your credit lines… your score will likely drop.
The next factor is your “credit age.”
It is the average of all open credit lines you have… and makes up 21-percent of your credit score.
Closing out long-standing accounts… or opening too many new ones will lower your overall average which in turn… can lower your score.
Moving onto your “mix of credit.”
This affects 11-percent of your score… and is based on the type of credit lines you have open.
The two most common are installment and revolving credit.
Installment loans are like mortgages or car loans… where you have a set payment amount for a specific length of time before it’s paid off. Such as a twenty-year mortgage or a car loan for 48 months.
Revolving loans are like credit cards or lines of credit… where you can add debt at any time and there’s not a set payoff date.
Having a mix of installment and revolving credit types is better for your score.
The last factor which makes up five-percent of your score is “hard inquiries”.
A hard inquiry is when a creditor checks your credit report because you have applied for a new credit line.
Each hard inquiry will negatively affect your score…  regardless whether you are approved or not.
There is also what’s known as a soft inquiry… which does not hurt your credit.
A soft inquiry is often used by landlords, insurance companies or potential employers to review your credit report… without actually applying for credit.
Now, let’s do a quick recap of what makes up your score:
Payment history is 40-percent
Credit usage is 23-percent
Credit age is 21-percent
Mix of credit is 11-percent
And hard inquiries make up the last five-percent.
Now that we know what makes up your credit and some actions that can hurt it… let’s answer the question: How do you improve it?
If you are just starting out and need to establish credit… you can apply for a low-interest rate credit card through a credit union.
Use that for small purchases like groceries or gas… and pay it off each month.
This shows creditors that you can be trusted to not over-spend and make your payments on time.
Paying it off in full… also saves you money by limiting the amount of interest that accrues.
If you need to repair or improve your credit… look into free financial coaching.
Ascentra credit union offers coaching services at all nine branches…
This service is even offered in spanish.
Our coaches do a soft-inquiry on your credit… so it doesn’t affect your score… then walk through the report to create a custom action plan.
Our coaches can also help with budgeting, debt reduction, long-term financial planning and more.
You can also use credit monitoring tools like savvy-money on the Ascentra app.
It allows members to view their credit report… and shows them where they’re doing well, where they can improve… and how.  This free service to ascentra members, has so much more to offer beyond
Don’t pay for credit services… and be aware of the fine print… you never know, some of these service could sell your information to third-parties.
Annual-credit-report-dot-com allows you to pull a full report once a year from each of the three credit reporting agencies… Transunion, Equifax and Experian.
Make sure to check for any inaccuracies… and if you find any… report them to the relevant credit bureau so they can be removed and not counted against you.
Consolidation loans through your credit union can help you in a number of different ways.
Consolidation let’s you combine multiple loans and/or credit card payments into one… offering a lower interest rate… helping you build your credit and save money.
Consolidations improve your payment history because one payment is easier to keep track of and pay on time… rather than several due dates throughout the month.
It helps your mix of credit by moving revolving credit to installment credit… and improves your credit usage by freeing up the credit lines the debt is moved from.
But it’s important to not use those credit lines again and go further into debt… fight any urge to use them by not carrying them around in your purse or wallet…just be sure to keep them in a safe place in your home… and remember that closing them will hurt your credit usage and your credit age.
Improvements should show on your credit report within a month or so…
and remember… more recent positive changes are much more important than negative impacts from the past.  Let’s look at a timeline that gives us the appoximate credit weight for each year. Because what you have done lately - both good and bad, carries more weight.
Here's the break it down….40-percent of your score is based on what you’ve done in the past year… 30-percent is based on the prior 13-to-24 months and 20-percent on the prior 25-36 months.
That means 90-percent of your score is graded off of the past three years.
There’s no instant-fix to repairing your credit score… but with a little patience and work, mixed with some guidance… you can do it.
But why should you do it?
Improving your score can make a big difference on your finances.
Let’s say you’re looking to rent an apartment and the landlord conducts checks credit.
They may offer it to the person with the higher score… giving you less options for housing.
When you apply for a loan… a good credit score not only helps determine if you get approved… but also what interest rate you’ll get.
The higher the score you have typically means you’ll pay less in interest.
For something expensive like a mortgage… that can mean the difference of tens-of-thousands of dollars… say you plan on buying a home for 250 thousand-dollars and a bank promoting a 5.75% interest rate says you can qualify, but since you are not in the top credit bracket, your interest rate will go up to 6.75%.
This is refered to as a “loan level price adjustment” – a policy that many lenders use that raises your interest rate or charges more fees.  Side note: ascenta does not punish people with “loan level price adjustments” on fixed rate mortgages– if you qualify for a mortgage, you get the best rate.
Now, one percent may not sound like a lot, until you do the math.  For this example we will use the online caculator that lets you compare two mortgages.  We will keep it simple and not include closing costs and fees, and real quickly we see for a 30 year loan, that one-percent rate bump will cost you over 58-thousand dollars in the life of the loan.
Imagine saving about 160 dollars every month for 30 years!!
Now, low credit scores can also increase your auto insurance premiums by as much as double the cost.
Research shows drivers with lower credit scores statistically have a greater likelihood of filing claims… which leads to higher rates.
Essentially…  having a good credit score helps save you money… but it can also help you earn money.
Some employers do a soft inquiry of your credit before offering you a position…
So if you don’t have good credit… you could be limiting your job opportunities and the pay that comes with them.
While your score can impact your earning potential… it’s important to know that how much you earn does not affect your credit…
Here are other factors that do not affect your credit score.
A debt-to-income ratio compares how much money is coming in to what’s going out towards paying debt… and is one of the most common misconceptions about credit score influence.
There are many people that make a lot of money and have bad credit… and people who don’t make much money… living paycheck-to-paycheck… but have great credit.
The length of time you’ve worked at an employer… or how long you’ve been living somewhere also have no impact on your score.
all of these things may impact whether you qualify for a loan or how much a lender will offer… but have no bearing on your credit score.
Remember… the areas you want to focus on are your:
Payment history
Credit usage
Credit age
Mix of credit
And hard inquiries.
Put in some time… some work… and remember… improving your credit score isn’t about perfection… it’s about progress…
And if you’re not sure where to start… ask for help.
Ascentra Credit Union is here to support you with tools, coaching and personalized guidance to help you reach your goals.
Your credit journey is just that… a journey… so take the first step… and keep moving forward.
Making Cents
Jul 29, 2025
Making Cents of Credit Scores
Hello everyone, I’m Alvaro and I’m going to help you understand what sets credit unions apart from banks.
While banks and credit unions offer a lot of the same products and services like savings and checking accounts, credit cards, and loans… that is about
all
they have in common.
The differences between banks and credit unions are their:
Business structures
Ownership
And last, but not least, the mission.
In this video, I’ll dive a little deeper into these three areas to help make sense of the credit union difference.
The biggest contrast between credit unions and banks is in the not-for-profit structure of credit unions.
Most businesses generate revenue for their owners, investors, or shareholders.
The more money a business makes, the better it is for the people at the top… but that usually comes at the expense of their customers.
Banks are no different.
Profits from the loans and services they provide go to their owners or shareholders.
Churning out dividends on a regular basis is top priority.
That may be great for the
investors
… but not necessarily the best thing for
consumers
“If customer service takes a hit … or fees and costs go up for customers … so be it! All in the name of profits!”
Now don’t get me wrong … I believe banks have a place.
However, they also actively
lobby
to get rid of credit unions to not only eliminate “competitors” … but eliminate a mission-driven industry that, quite frankly, keeps them fair.
We have seen headlines time and time again, where some banks resort to questionable and downright
illegal
practices in their quest for bigger profits.
Now if you wondered why I did “air quotes” when I said “competitors” … it’s because in the United States, banks own an astonishing
91-percent
of deposits compared to a mere
eight-percent
for credit unions.
Credit unions are really not competitors and banks are currently enjoying record profits … so what would compel them to target credit unions?
One word:
greed
The for-profit banking model also affects whether they open branches in certain areas … or even
keep open
branches located in areas they consider no longer performing to their standards.
In fact, according to the FDIC … NCUA … and America’s Credit Unions … since 2012 banks have
closed
more than 20,222 branches, while credit unions have
opened
562 branches.
This has a devastating effect on the people who lose those jobs …
and
on the communities that become financial deserts.
In contrast, the credit union model does
not
put profits over service.
Credit unions
don’t
squeeze profits out of the organization to pay investors.
The profits are pumped right back into the organization for the benefit of the members.
Credit union members get less fees and lower interest rates on loans … and higher returns on their savings products.
Credit unions
also
regularly rank higher in overall satisfaction on average compared to banks.
Two recent J.D. Power studies showed that credit unions scored
74-points higher
than the average bank in satisfaction scores.
Credit unions are popular with the average American who needs basic financial products… and even those seeking wealth building services.
That is why 142-million American consumers are credit union members.
Credit unions are governed by a board of directors who are all members of the credit union …
most
of them are volunteers.
Board members are democratically elected by the membership to provide oversight and guidance on the general direction of the credit union.
Any member can run for a board seat … regardless of how much money they have in their accounts.
So, if you’re not happy with the direction of your credit union, you can run to join the board or at the very least, vote for those who are keeping the organization accountable.
This helps credit unions stay responsive to their communities and their members.
Credit unions are also limited to serving members who have a common bond.
A credit union’s “field of membership” determines who is eligible to become a member.
The restriction usually applies to people who:
Live in a certain region…
Work for a certain employer or industry sector…
Or even if they are part of the military.
For example, there are federal credit unions that provide membership for federal workers and their families … while smaller credit unions might just service a specific region or town.
You can think of them as “exclusive” … but just about every American can join a credit union.
At Ascentra, our field of membership is open to people who live or work within 21 counties in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.
While some may see this as a limiting factor, credit unions consistently punch above weight when competing with large national banks by working together to help provide service to all their members in very unique ways.
Cooperation among cooperatives – this is actually one of the principles of cooperatives – which is exactly what credit unions are.
Cooperatives are organizations that are owned and ran by their members to meet the common needs of the membership.
Many credit unions partner with each other to allow their members to mutually benefit.
One example of that cooperative spirit is the shared branch network … a service that lets you have a membership at a credit union in Bettendorf, Iowa … but go to college on the other side of the country without worrying about having access to your accounts.
Shared branching allows members to walk into
any
one of over
56-hundred
credit unions across the country to make withdrawals, transfers, or loan and mortgages payments.
If you’re a snowbird or maybe on spring break in Florida … Orlando credit union can do business for Ascentra members … and we can do the same for their members at our shared branches.
Credit unions also give back to their local communities.
As not-for-profits, credit unions have a tax-preferred status … which means we pay
all
taxes except for federal corporate income tax.
The tax savings and credit union profits are used to offer better rates and services to our members… and reinvest in the community by:
Funding local programs
Teaching financial wellness
Partnering with charitable organizations
Helping members going through hardships
Volunteering… and more.
This has proven to be a great investment for taxpayers.
Many studies show high returns for millions of credit union members
and
the overall economy.
For years… bank lobbyists have been trying to have credit unions’ tax status taken away … but that would not only affect credit unions … but the people we serve.
It would cost our members more money … and hurt our ability to make a community impact … which is deeply engrained in why credit unions exist in the first place.
Our guiding philosophy is “people helping people.”
This has been the mission since
day one
Credit unions were born because people of modest means were turned away by banks … and being preyed upon by loan sharks.
They came together to lend each other money … to help each other grow and be successful.
They created
cooperatives
… the early credit unions.
Those issues are
still
happening today.
Many banks don’t offer small consumer loans or help people with lower credit scores … leaving them to turn to payday lenders or pawn shops. Credit unions step in to fill that gap.
Plenty of credit unions have a similar story.
A group of people who had an employer, church, or organization in common and were fed up with unresponsive banks and took control of their finances.
For Ascentra Credit Union, it began in 1950 with a group of union employees working at the Alcoa Davenport works plant.
They organized and created Alcoa employees credit union … with some of the earliest loans being used to help buy coal to heat their homes … or help put a down payment on a house.
Today, the credit union serves more than 40,000 members and manages more than 556-million dollars in assets.
It’s also grown to nine branches located in Bettendorf, Clinton, Davenport, and Muscatine, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois.
The efforts to help people going through hard financial times has
also
multiplied.
At Ascentra, we partner with organizations to provide financial wellness for people of all walks of life.
We’ve even created a foundation to ensure that even in tough economic times, we are still able to give back.
We don’t just write a donation check.
We foster relationships with area changemakers and organizations who align with our mission … those who amplify our beliefs of listening, caring and doing what’s right.
That goes beyond just helping people get a loan.
It’s the way we carry ourselves and how we help others in our community.
So, what’s the credit union difference?
It’s simple … credit unions work to improve our communities because we
work for
and are
owned by
the people in our communities.
We will continue to grow and evolve to meet the needs of our members … because the credit union difference is the core of everything that we do
Making Cents
May 29, 2025
The Credit Union Difference
Hey everybody. It's Travis from Ascentra, and today we're gonna cover one of the most important measures of your financial health, your credit score.
Mar 31, 2025
Digtal Banking - SavvyMoney
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What is a down payment?
A down payment is the initial cash you put down when you are buying your home. It represents a percentage of the total purchase price, and the buyer will often take out a mortgage loan to finance the remainder.
With a larger down payment, the buyer needs to borrow less, monthly mortgage payments are lower, and less is paid in interest over the loan term.
At Ascentra, a fixed-rate home loan requires a minimum 5% down payment and a first-time homebuyer adjustable rate mortgage loan requires a 3% down payment.  To avoid paying private mortgage insurance, a down payment of 20% is needed.
The down payment funds can come from a variety of sources.  Oftentimes, people use assets like savings or retirement accounts.  Additional sources for funds include gifts from family members, grants or secured borrowed funds.
Help may also be available in the form of down payment assistance programs.  At Ascentra, we offer a $7500 first-time home buyer grant for qualifying individuals.*
All down payment funds require documentation.  We want to make the process as simple as we can.  We are here to guide you and make sure your home buying experience is as smooth as possible.
We are your mortgage experts.
Jul 31, 2023
Making Cents of Down Payments
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Should I refinance?
This is a very good question, especially if rates are low!
The general rule of thumb is that if you can save at least one point in interest (for example lowering it from 4% to 3%), you can definitely save money in interest.  And often times, you can lower your payment or even the term of the loan down from, say, 30 years to 15 or even 10.
But while that may be a general rule, the most important question is “What is YOUR goal?”
Some reasons you might want to refinance are
To save money each month with a lower payment.
To pay off your loan sooner by shortening the term of the loan.
To consolidate other debts into one easy monthly mortgage payment.
To borrowing against your home’s equity to make improvements or upgrades to your home.
Or maybe you are just unhappy with your current lender because your loan is constantly moving from one investor to another.  That won’t happen at Ascentra because we service all of our loans locally.  So when you need assistance WE will be here to help.
At Ascentra, we are your mortgage experts.
Jul 28, 2023
Making Cents of When to Refinance
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What is Escrow?
An escrow is essentially an account that holds funds for your annual taxes and homeowners insurance throughout the year.  With each monthly mortgage payment you make, money is held in an account by the lender, then those funds are used to make your annual property tax payments and home owners insurance payments on your behalf.
When you escrow the lender will add 1/12
th
of your insurance premium and 1/12
th
of your tax bill to your monthly payment, so the lender has enough set aside to pay the bills when they are due.
It is important to know that escrow accounts are regulated, and all lenders are required to follow the same rules.  If you are purchasing a home and have less than a 20% down payment or you have less than 20% equity when you refinance, lenders require you to escrow your taxes and insurance as a part of your monthly payment.  If you are putting down at least 20% or have at least 20% equity on a refinance, you have the choice if you want to pay your taxes and insurance on your own. At Ascentra we do not require you to escrow in this situation, it is entirely up to you.
Annually our escrow department will do an escrow analysis, which includes new insurance premiums, new tax rates, and a 2-month cushion that is allowed by the government. We then calculate your new monthly payment based on those factors.
Your mortgage payment may go up or down year to year depending on changes to your property taxes or insurance rates.
If your escrow comes up short for any reason, you have the option to pay any shortage or you can finance that amount out over the next 12 months of mortgage payments.
At Ascentra, we handle all of our loan servicing in house, so if you ever have any questions, we are here to help.  We are your mortgage experts.
Jul 26, 2023
Making Cents of Escrow
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What is PMI?
PMI is short for private mortgage insurance. PMI is insurance required on mortgage loans for borrowers in two specific situations.
If you don’t submit a 20% down payment when purchasing a home, PMI is required.
OR If you don’t have 20% equity in your home when you are refinancing, PMI is required.
PMI is
not
homeowners insurance. Private Mortgage Insurance actually protects the lender in the instance that you stop making payments on your loan. The cost of PMI is included in your monthly mortgage payment.
You can request to stop PMI once your reach 20% equity in your home.  These requests are evaluated based on your payment history.  PMI is automatically canceled once you reach 78% equity in your home.
It is always a good idea to read your mortgage statement and be aware of the amount of equity you have in your home, since stopping PMI can save you money each month.
Here at Ascentra, members receive letters annually letting them know the percentage of equity in their home. This makes it really easy to track when you can cancel your private mortgage insurance.
At Ascentra, we handle all mortgage servicing in-house.  So if you have questions, we are here for you.  We are your mortgage experts.
Jul 24, 2023
Making Cents of PMI
Until I started looking into this. I had no idea of the extensive history that resides here in Davenport's black history.
But also the merger of the Black History into the White society here in Davenport. It was it really was a different picture painted than what I learned throughout my education in school.
Henry Applewhite was born in 1850. He was born in Georgia. He went to war with his master on the Confederate side as he started the war, but eventually found his way to the Union side.
And why? We may never know. I think we have insight that he was probably forced to fight on the Confederate side. But he soon found his way to fighting for the the Union Army.
You know, it's kind of weird to think that he was fighting to maintain a status that he could not have been well in.
After the war, he came to Davenport and it was around 1878 at that time where he worked as a gardener for the S.F. Smith family. I'll get back to them later.
He was one of the best known colored men of the city at the time.
His death came back in on the 2nd of November in 1899.
At his birthday party, he was too sick to celebrate. And so a host of his friends got together and did not forget his 49th birthday. They brought him many valuable presents. Among them were five silver dollars, presented him by the lady sewing circle of third Baptist Church.
Mr. Applewhite passed away that Saturday, November 4th, at the age of 49 in 1899.
His services were held at Third Baptist Church, which he and his wife, Lydia Applewhite, were two of its founding members. Interesting. Before Mr. Applewhite passed away, he had left a request that Reverend Murph of Gettysburg, Illinois, preach his funeral, assisted by G.S. Rollins of the Congregation Church in Davenport and Dr. Letto of Calvary Baptist Church, also of Davenport, two white congregations and other white noted white ministers that they participate in his services.
During the funeral it says that Third Baptist was packed to the brim standing room only.
Among those who are who, they said at that time, would miss him the most would be the honorable S.F. Smith. As Mr. Applewhite had worked very faithfully for 21 years as Houseman and Coachman, and was considered as one of the family rather than a hired man.
His lack of bitterness, I think, is what kind of grabs me when you look at the individuals that he surrounded himself with.
Honorable S.F. Smith, who he worked for for 21 years, a white man who considered Mr. Applewhite as family, that there was no bitterness in Mr. Applewhite towards white people.
It disrupts what we've what we've learned, and I think that is the glory of what we want to be able to do here in Martin Luther King Park is to be able to tell the story from a more accurate lens of history where we are not shying away from the true story and the contributions that all American citizens have had even before they were considered full American citizens.
Community Highlights
Feb 28, 2023
Friends of MLK - Henry Applewhite
Knowing these stories, I hope will help us move forward because we're honoring our past with hopes that we will build a better future.
Lindsey Pitts is believed to be Davenport's first black business owner.
Born into slavery in 1841, in the state of Missouri, he worked in slavery up until about age 21.
Then he escapes from his Missouri owner as a young man with the help of the Underground Railroad.
When the Civil War breaks out, he then enlists in the first Iowa colored Infantry, which was believed to be the 60th colored infantry right here in Davenport, a unit he served in throughout the war.
After several years on his own, Mr. Pitts arrived in Davenport back in Davenport in 1878. He was determined to stay. He was a successful businessman.
He operated the saloon for many years, right here at 120 East fifth Street in what was an entertainment district that the local newspapers derogatorily called “Africa Row” or “Dark Town Row.” The 1900s and 1901
Davenport City director notes his saloon was also part cigar stand barber shop and billiard hall.
This area was near the Chicago, the Pacific and the Rock Island Depot.
So that makes this mixed race zone frequented by many, many train passengers as well as locals.
Around 1906, Pitts sold this place and opened a new one, the Exchange Saloon, at 214 East Front Street.
And according to his obituary, Lindsey Pitts was for many years an important African-American political leader in Davenport.
He passed away following a brief illness where he contracted a sickness from attending the funeral of one Jake Busey, at which Lindsey was the pallbearer.
Those were very important times here in this area.
There were free blacks, but then there also slaves working.
And so to have a black man like Lindsey Pitts, who was able to find work and his own work and to be to find this place desirable, to live, I think is is is impressive.
Community Highlights
Feb 16, 2023
Friends of MLK - Lindsey Pitts
I could talk all day about Kally.
She's amazing.
I think that Eddy has just been a great addition to our team.
Kind, genuine, funny, nice, wonderful.
All around person. Sarah is the best.
I want to talk about Janet Wernke
because she is just such a caring and thoughtful and genuine person.
I've seen her when I've been in a conference room
and I see her walking by somebody.
She stops and she genuinely cares
about what's going on.
And I've seen her give them a hug, her smile ls just so welcoming.
It's huge and it's contagious.
Sarah had found out that I was.
Well, not that I was pregnant,
but I had my son and his whole room was cows
and all this stuff.
So Sarah took the time
to make this wonderful cow for my son.
She did it all by herself.
She crocheted. It's beautiful. Wonderful.
Love it.So I don't know.
That just speaks to
who Sarah is as a person.
Sarah took time out of her busy schedule.
She is now pregnant herself,
so obviously you don't have a lot of downtime or energy.
And she did this wonderful,
nice thing for me.
So it just speaks to her as a person, how thoughtful she is
and how selfless she can be.
They're just caring people.
They're just really exciting to be around.
And I don't walk into work and dread
like, Oh, I had to work with the same people
all the time.
It's like, No,
I get to work with my people.
Like I see them, even though I see them 40 hours a week.
I enjoy it. I enjoy their company
and our conversations that we have.
It's just really nice working with them.
But one of the biggest things that has stood out to me about Eddy is his work ethic.
And we've had people call in on Saturdays on multiple occasions,
and Eddy is always willing to jump up and get ready
and come in to work.
Even on his day off on a Saturday when most of us make plans on Saturdays.
He's willing to come in and do that,and he's done that numerous times
throughout the week to the camaraderie
is great and he's just a joy to work with.
Kally is amazing.
Kally is always there for us.
I just I look up to her.
I mean, I'm older than her, but I look up to her.
I, I, she's so confident. She believes in us.
So, you know, when you got your boss believing in you, how can you go wrong?
And she's helped me in my personal life, too.
I mean, there's been a couple of things that she's guided me.
For someone to have that kind of effect on someone,
I felt like she needed to know.
You wanted to take a little bit of time to tell us
about the people that you care about.
So we reached out to some of the people in your branch and got them to give us some things that they wanted to share about you.
Oh, lovely. So if you don't mind. Okay.
I'm going to share with some of your coworkers I had to say about you.
Are you ready. I’m ready. Cassidy has only been here
for a short amount of time, but in that time she's been able
to demonstrate the great leader she is.
Oh, she is 100% the Beyoncé of our department.
And she said you would know what that means. I'm Beyonce always.
I'm very proud of her.
She should be very proud of herself and the credit union
is lucky to have her on the team.
Oh, she's always so positive and welcoming.
It makes for an awesome day.
She truly has one of the greatest hearts
out there, so kind and loving and just a genuine human.
We have helped each other through some very dark times and came out the other end stronger because of it.
Absolutely.
Angie, you are so appreciated for going above and beyond all the time.
I see it and I hear it.
Thank you for being you. Wow.
I didn't expect that. Thank you.
I appreciate her so much and hope that I can be as good of a mama
to my little one as she is to Waylon.
She's seriously super mom and super friend.
Oh, love it.
Well, Sarah doesn't need to hear this for me, but
Sarah is going to be an amazing mother as well.
She is a dedicated, motivated person when it comes to her h.r.
Responsibilities and i admire her greatly for that.
However, she also has a very warm, caring, fun side that always has time for you and never turns down a Janet hug.
She makes my heart happy.
Oh, stop it.
I love my Ascentra coworkers.
Oh, my goodness.
It's so nice to hear these things.
Team Ascentra
Feb 15, 2023
Random Acts of Kindness Day
It's Davenport's history. It's not just Davenport’s black history, but this is Davenport's history.
Thomas And Jake Busey.
They become some of Davenport's pioneers here in this area as well.
In terms of when we look at why black families moved to Davenport.
Jake Busey was born on September 17th of 1859, came to this city with his mother in 1864. He graduated from the high school, which we now know as Davenport Central High School on June 23rd of 1877.
He was Davenport High School's are Davenport's second black graduate. He said he owed his education to ex-Mayor J.W. Stewart, who took a deep interest at him and assisted him throughout school.
After graduating from high school, Jake went to Nashville, Tennessee, where he taught night school for six months. He then returned home.
For 21 years after that, he worked as a janitor at the old library building at Sixth and Brady Streets.
Tom Busey, his brother, was also born in Calhoun, Kentucky. His story is a little different, and after coming to Davenport, he received his education at school number two and after leaving, learned the trade of cook.
The story of the Busey brothers and how they got here at at different times. So born in slavery in Calloway County, Kentucky, they owe their deliverance from the fetlock and the lash to the strong parental
love of their father and mother.
During the Civil War in the dead of night, their parents hitched up a team on their master’s oxen and without detection loaded it their nine children into the wagon and hauled them to the Union Army camp some ten miles away from where their plantation was.
They were given protection of the troops and when overtaken by the irate master was he he made his way to the union camp that following morning the oxen where return to the slave owner, but he never regained possession of his former slaves.
The family then proceeded to Columbus, Kentucky, where the father was pressed into service in the Union Army. During ten days and nights in a cold and drizzly, rainy evening, the elder Busey, the father, was engaged in throwing embarkments for the union forces, and while so engaged, he contracted pneumonia from which he then died.
When the parents had made their escape, they took with them their nine children. The 10th child who lived on a different plantation and worked was Thomas Busey.
When they got here in Davenport, Mrs. Busey arrived with her nine children. She had $2 to her name. They had to send back to get Thomas some a few years later.
And that's why he came later in life.
And when he gets here, he's probably of age where where he could start working. It says that her her children, they did not shy away of repaying her the debt for the sacrifice that she made, that they got their freedom.
They put her up in a in a in a house. They say that was a comfortable home is what they say that that she lived in. Paid for and furnished by the earnings of Tom and Jake. And that house was located at 616 Eastern Avenue in East Davenport.
I think the Busey family is a typical what what you would think in terms of runaway slave. The owner comes after them, the Union Army saves the day, and then you have this strong black mother who takes her nine children from Kentucky and lands here in Davenport, Iowa, and then has the gall to send back after the war for her 10th son, Thomas Busey. And they're successful in doing it.
I think the amazing piece is that there's so many stories that we hear of that families were totally destroyed and never even reconnected during slavery and even post-slavery. And so to have this this family that has was able to have this reconnection, I think is amazing.
And we can look back at the Buseies and say there there there was someone that came before me that helped pave the way for what I have access to today.
Community Highlights
Jan 22, 2023
Friends of MLK - The Busey Family
I don't even know that our program is well known here in this community, although we've been here for probably 80 years, all told.
The River Valley ARC is a residential rehabilitation center for men with addictions, and so it is a six month program and the men come here of their own free will.
Even if the court refers them, they have an option.
Well, will I go somewhere else where the judge sends me, or will I try the Salvation Army?
So they check into this program and they're involved in the whole program, what we call work therapy, because everybody has an assignment during the day, which is really good because the men are not used to necessarily getting up in the morning and going to work.
So they have to get up early, clean up, get dressed, come to breakfast and then we have a morning devotional time and then they go out and do a job here at the center.
And then in the evenings they have their counseling classes, individual counseling and group counseling group activities that would include going to AA meetings and NA meetings outside and inside.
So there's a whole panoply of programs that they're involved in.
Almost every Sunday we're graduating somebody from the program and they're getting reunited with their family.
And just yesterday, we had a man complete the program and go home to his partner in Keokuk.
And she is suffering from I think, third stage cancer.
So he's going to be able to be there as a present and a productive person in that household and is going to bring that family back together.
So I've had the privilege of seeing a lot of families restored.
Men being productive. We have a good alumni group
and they actually come back and support the guys in the program here. I think it's important that the community knows exactly what we're doing so that they can actually support us, too.
And by the way, our only means of support, we don't take cash donations here, just gifts in-kind, which would be clothing, furniture, household goods and such.
We we distribute them out to our thrift stores. We have seven. And the sale of those goes back into this program to support this program, meaning that we don't charge any fees at all for the men while they're here.
If we can get that word out more that what we do is turn that cash immediately back into the program to help men, then I think that would inspire people to donate more often, not of cash, but of gifts in-kind.
Clothing they're getting rid of, furniture and such.
And frankly, this a good time of year around Christmas because they're getting rid of the old and ready to bring in some new.
And so I would hope people would know what we do with the funds that we get in the thrift store. But we think it all goes together towards one goal.
That a man gets his heart right first, and his chances for success are just that much better.
Community Highlights
Dec 23, 2022
Salvation Army - Rehabilitation Center
We're not just giving people services or money. We're giving them hope.
We are not boxed into any particular delivery model. So we can really be what Clinton needs.
And so right now, the demand is for resumes and job skills, finding employment and trying to get over the technological barrier that a lot of people have.
If the only job you ever had was one that never required a resume, you're in uncharted territory.
So I think a part of the process is forming a relationship with this person so that I can help them tell their story.
So being able to spend time with people again is such a key thing that a lot of other agencies can't do.
But we pride ourselves on taking time with people, selling people on their own innate abilities.
How many times do I give people a pep talk every week just to just to help get them back on their feet?
You know, and I can empower somebody to, you know, fill out that resumé knowing, yeah, they have a big gap because maybe they were in prison or maybe they were homeless.
How can we reframe that gap as a real positive?
How can we send them into that interview, Not dreading that question about that gap in their resumé, but being being excited to talk about how they grew and what they learned and why they're a better person for that gap in their resume.
The life center concept for the Salvation Army is about being whatever the community needs. We're not fixed and we're not tied to any particular way that we do what we do.
So we're always asking what does our community need?
And we want to know from people what what they need and we want to meet that need.
Community Highlights
Dec 22, 2022
Salvation Army - Career Services
So the after school program is a 41 week program that goes throughout the school year, gives them a place to come to.
A lot of the kids, most of them may have been not welcome to other ones because of behavioral issues, but sometimes other places aren't equipped or can't handle that.
And so we say, hey, we can come alongside them, we'll take them.
So our kids are very good, though. They're amazing. We love them. And our youth director, Mary, especially, loves them.
The parents work a lot, especially if it's coming from a more low income area or they have job hours that don't reflect the normal 9 to 5 job hours.
They need time in that afternoon to be able to work at home and prepare for whatever.
And so we provide them with the time to both have fun to decompress from school
and then after that time do their homework so that way they don't fall behind.
Here, we allow them to have fun. We allow them to spend time with friends, make new friends, be social, allow them to do their homework, and be able to assist in reading, spelling difficulties, math.
The kids are excited to come here. They love coming here.
They often ask their parents and say, Mom, dad, when can I go back? When can we go back after school?
The way we meet that need is the support of the community.
The community is what drives us. Everything that we get is from the community, from the food, from the support through donations or red kettle season that comes to the community, from corporations, donating from individuals, donating and volunteering their time to support us.
And so we meet the need with the help of the community.
It's to see them light up when they are improving and things that they were struggling with.
I count that as success and to see the smiles on their faces is really the true marker of success.
Community Highlights
Dec 21, 2022
Salvation Army - After School Program
We see a lot of middle class families who are working hard to provide for their families.
But housing expenses are going up, food is going up, everything's going up.
And so trying to meet make ends meet is still difficult and families still need help.
During our week, we have over 200 people coming in to get bread and pastries that are donated by Hy-Vee and to shop our food pantry.
So they come in. We have volunteers who work in our food pantry, help the clients shop and take food home to their families.
And then we also do a coat drive every year and give away coats for free to the community, to kids.
And so far, we've given away over 350 coats.
A little girl came in and we gave her a winter coat and she was so excited and she put this coat on and she was dancing around our lobby because she was so excited that she got a new winter coat.
We could not serve the amount of people that we serve without our volunteers.
This operation would not work without our volunteers.
They come in each week and we have people who go and pick up the bread and drop it off to us.
We have people who bring in donations of food or financial donations to purchase food for our pantries or provide coats.
And then we have our regular volunteers who come in and help these clients apply for our food pantry and shop in the food pantry.
And without them, this would not work.
The need here in the community in Moline is real.
There's people coming in every day looking for housing because they're facing homelessness or food because their kids didn't eat dinner last night or coats because they can't afford a coat for their kids.
And so we are here to try to help them make ends meet.
Community Highlights
Dec 20, 2022
Salvation Army - Food Pantry and Coat Drive
When you're in crisis and you don't have anywhere to go or you're living in your car, all you think about is how I'm going to make it through that day.
With shelters, a lot of people think as you know, they're not doing anything, they're not working, they're drunks or, you know, addicts.
That's what they think of homeless people.
But these are families with children that literally have nowhere to go.
They are working. They are trying. They're trying their best to be able to get out of that situation.
And they can't do it because they can't afford their housing.
We have currently right now almost 50 families in shelter and that's just the families.
So you're looking over 100 and some people that are in shelter right now and we have about 30 to 40 more families that are waiting to come in a shelter that will be hopefully getting them this week and next week.
People are in crisis. Live day to day for our job as the Salvation Army is to teach them to look into the future.
And so that you do have that savings, you do have that support with someone that a lot of them don't have the support from family.
And so they rely on us as case managers to be able to support them in there and to be able to teach them that, yes, you need a fix today, but you also need to look for the future because you don't know what's going to happen.
We currently right now have 11 families in our transitional housing program where we work with where they work with a case manager to work on some goals that they need to work on.
You know, some a lot of them have evictions, recent evictions, maybe a little bit of a criminal background, different things like that that housing is difficult for them right now.
If anybody has a recent eviction, housing is pretty much impossible at this point.
So transitional housing gives them for this program.
It's up to three years of putting those evictions back, working with a case manager on how to save money, increase their income if they need to.
Whatever goals they want to, to be able to become successful and be able to get their own housing after this is over.
We pay with the grant their rent, and but they also have to save money so that when they do leave us, they have that money for that deposit, first month's rent, second month's rent and whatever they need to move in and to get themselves set up.
So the extra things that we give them is to basically set them up for their their housing, whether they're going into our housing program or into their own home.
We want them to be able to have those basic needs that they need because a lot of people are coming from shelters.
So they only have like some clothes or a couple of things.
So buying the towels, buying the dishes, buying microwaves, getting food, those things cost extra money that they don't have.
And so we like to set them up with those basic things that they have so they can focus on saving them money.
You know, working on budgets, working with the case manager and those things, they don't have to worry about when they're moving in.
You know, when you see people coming to a shelter, they're down in there have had no luck. They just have lost hope.
And so when you work with them as a case manager and you're seeing kind of that hope of like, oh, I can work this job, or oh, now we got childcare, childcare set up.
So now I can maybe now they're in school, so now I can work and seeing the pieces come together for them and the confidence that they have based on them not having to worry about where they're going each night and that their kids can go to school every day and then bringing them into a housing program.
You see the sense of relief, you see the sense of happiness. You see that they have accomplished goals.
It may not be big goals that people think, but the little goals of just getting my kid signed up for childcare, taking them to school, getting them to school, different things like that, that they
when they weren't doing or to save money.
And that is a big it's a reward of of those people that you see and the kids of space that like I'm going into my own place.
We've been moving some of these people into our traditional how these units and the look on their faces when they go in and the kids as faces of having a bed instead of sleeping in their car, that they actually have a bed that they now have bedding for because we provided it for them and they have a place that's warm and they can call their home and they don't have to say, I'm living in my car, I'm living in my house.
It's their house.
Community Highlights
Dec 19, 2022
Salvation Army - Housing Assistance
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