News

Dear fellow members,

I wanted to provide you with a quarterly update on our credit union’s performance. Since I assumed the leadership mantle at First Harvest in July, I have asked our members and employees for feedback on how we can improve the experience for our membership.  I am happy to share progress on a variety of areas to improve our member and community impact.

Member Service Center: I am excited to announce that in the coming months, we will be creating 21 new South Jersey-based jobs in our member service center.  By January, our member service calls and support will be performed right here at our headquarters, by First Harvest employees.  In addition, by expanding our member service team, you will enjoy better and more personalized service, and have a better ability to open new accounts online or over the phone.  Many of you have told me that our service center was a pain point, and we plan to resolve this with our expansion of this area.

Competitive Certificate & IRA Products: This past quarter, we've introduced several Certificate and IRA specials for our members, offering some of the most competitive rates in the nation.  As you continue to be challenged by rising rates and inflation, please be sure to speak with our branch or member service staff to see how we can help you, your friends, or family optimize your savings. 

Affordable Auto Refinancing: This fall, we have been offering an automobile refinance special, which allows our members to refinance their vehicle and make no payments in the first 90 days - this program has helped many of our members lower their monthly payments and better manage their overall finances.

Mastercard Reissue: We have recently completed our debit card conversion, from the Visa network to the Mastercard network.  In the coming weeks, our credit card holders will also be receiving a Mastercard credit card to replace their Visa.  As I've visited our branches, I know firsthand that this reissue has created challenges for some of our members.  On behalf of our team, we apologize for this inconvenience, but we assure you that in the months ahead, you will enjoy better opportunities for rewards, balance transfers, and overall spending power.  Our team’s next priority will be working diligently to activate mobile wallet availability for our cards. If you have received a new Mastercard credit card, or still have questions regarding the conversion of your debit card, you can visit our branches or call us and our staff will be happy to walk you through the conversion process.  We encourage you to do so soon, so you don't experience any interruption in your holiday shopping.

Charity: Our Harvest Season of Giving is underway. The First Harvest team is hard at work to make this season a giving one through a diverse list of community give-back efforts all throughout the fourth quarter in 2023.

In October, we helped support Breast Cancer awareness by encouraging members to share a Pink Ribbon Message for a donation. $1,000 was also donated to support the Hawaiian Credit Union Fire Relief efforts. We supported the Union Fire Company of Blackwood Terrace during their Trunk-Or-Treat community event by handing out candies to attendees. In November and December, we’re excited to participate in efforts to help make the holiday season brighter for our local communities, which includes collecting coats to benefit various charities in our area, assisting the Salvation Army with their Red Kettle collection – be on the lookout for the Red Kettles at our branches, and donating to local food pantries among other activities. Through our Charitable Journey program, which is an employee-run charity, we’ll be adopting a number of families right in our own backyards, who are in need, to help provide holiday gift items. The effort is in partnership with Volunteers of America’s Adopt-A-Family program.

On December 1, 2023, between 6:00pm and 9:00pm, come out and enjoy some holiday festivities with us during the Boro in Lights celebration, presented by First Harvest Credit Union. The event will be held at the Glassboro Town Square located at 1 High St W, Glassboro, NJ 08028. Family fun activities include a tree lighting ceremony, musical performances, carriage rides, and more.

Financial Strength: We continuously work to fortify the credit union's balance sheet to ensure that we remain a safe and sound institution for our membership.  We are considered a well-capitalized institution by our regulator, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and your accounts at First Harvest Credit Union are insured up to $250,000 per account title by the NCUA. First Harvest Credit Union members may also qualify for additional deposit insurance coverage through Excess Share Insurance.  This past quarter, we have taken additional steps to reduce corporate debt, as well as bolster our liquidity and loan reserves as inflation continues to present a real challenge for some of our members.

In conclusion, we are proud to have grown our membership this year - First Harvest now has more than 46,000 members as more families and individuals are discovering the First Harvest difference. As we head into Thanksgiving, on behalf of our First Harvest team, I wish to express our gratitude to our members and Sponsored Employee Groups, for the trust you've shown in our institution today and for the past 83 years.  We wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  We are honored to serve you, and I hope you will also consider helping those in your community who may be less fortunate this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Mike Dinneen
President & CEO