The DE Difference: Roberto Delgado

Name: Roberto Delgado

Organization: Northeast Family a Division of Self-Help FCU

Title: Engagement Leader

When did you attend DE Training?

I attended DE in September of 2022, Best Class Ever!

Why did you decide to attend DE training?

At the time I was very new to Credit Union’s. My CEO, Joanne Todd, thought it would be a great idea that I attend.

What were your thoughts about DE training before you attended?

I had no clue on what the DE Program was, or what it meant to be a CUDE. I was terrified! As a 22-year-old attending your first ever “work-trip”, I didn’t know what to expect. Knowing that I was going to place where everyone was so knowledgeable and tenured was intimidating.

How did DE change you?

DE helped me view the world through a different lens. It allowed me to understand the power of people. How only a few can create change. It was also my call-to-action and where I found my purpose.

What were your top three takeaways from DE training?

I can only list 3???

• Everyone has the power to create change. You must seize the moment.
• Whether you are experienced or just started in the industry, you bring a wealth of knowledge to the table. Do not be afraid to speak up and make your voice heard.
• Our work is nowhere near over; it is only beginning. As Credit Unions we need to continue innovating, growing, and tackling needs within our community. If we forget about our mission and our purpose, we are no better than the people we try to protect our members from.

How did you incorporate what you learned at DE into your job?

DE teaches you to view the world through different lenses. It helps you develop this very powerful tool that we all have, known as empathy. I have taken that piece into my Community Engagement Role to better understand and connect with communities that are underserved/under resourced. I read a book recently that says, “everyone is an expert on their oppression” and I will never be able to understand someone’s struggle completely. Our job as DE’s and Credit Union people is to understand just that. We need to listen and find innovative ways to meet communities where they are. If Filene, Desjardin, Herring and other incredible people did it, so can we.

What is your DE project?

My DE project was to expand my Credit Union’s Field of Membership and lower the barrier to entry.

How did you determine what your DE Project was going to be?

My mentor, friend, and hero, Joanne Todd, mentioned that this would help many people join the Credit Union. In the area where we are located, we are the only financial institution to offer ITIN accounts and loans. In addition, as a low-income designated Credit Union our products and services were exactly what our community members needed.

What Development Issue(s) does your DE Project focus on?

Savings – Within our local community, 26.8% live below the poverty line. Many who would rather save their money under a mattress because they do not trust financial institutions. By lowering our barrier to entry AND establishing local relationships that build trust within our community, we are able to protect our members’ money and educate our members.

Credit– Related to my previous point, since many of our community members are underbanked and underserved, they have established little to no credit. Some because they don’t know that there are products out there to help them and others because they don’t know where to start. With this expansion we are able to reach many more community members, provide them with access to Credit Building products, and educate them on how to get started on their financial journey.

Education – You would think that since I have talked about Education in the first two Development Issues that the third one would be Education, and you are absolutely right! Education, in my opinion, is the most effective tool to help build and protect economic ownership within our communities and help community members achieve Financial Freedom. In the words of one of my favorite authors, Paulo Friere, “There’s no such thing as neutral education. Education either functions as an instrument to bring about conformity or freedom.” It is our duty to provide our members with the opportunity to learn and hopefully achieve freedom.

What were 3 key takeaways of your DE Project?

• Establishing trust and building relationships within community is not easy, yet necessary to continue the Credit Union mission.
• Education is at the heart of everything we do.
• Sometimes the products, services, and even the ways for a member to qualify for membership, are not as accessible as we think. In the words of Joanne Todd, “we must look at everything with a critical eye”.

 What impact(s) is your DE Project having on your community and the credit union organization?

Currently, the Field of Membership Expansion has helped us grow our membership and reach members of our community that we would’ve had a challenge to reach prior. Although this might seem natural from the nature of my DE Project, the amount of impact that we have made and will continue to make will change lives. This change has helped us provide affordable used car loans to individuals who otherwise would not be able to afford a loan. It has created a need within our community for education where different community organizations reach out to us year after year to provide financial education. Finally, it has helped establish our Credit Union as a reputable and community trusted financial institution that is here to meet you where you are.