Message from Our CEO: Happy New Year & 2026 Reinvestments

Dear Fellow Members,

On behalf of our entire First Harvest Credit Union team, I would like to wish you and your family a happy and healthy New Year! As we reflect on an outstanding 85th anniversary year, our team remains committed to providing exceptional service and inclusive financial solutions, while continuing to deepen our social commitments that directly support our Southern New Jersey community.

In 2025, our entire credit union team worked together to deliver over 85 Acts of Kindness! Through this initiative, our team distributed more than $85,000 in contributions and supported over 65 organizations. We also spent more than 350 hours volunteering, living out the credit union philosophy of “people helping people” all year long. We also opened our new convenient Voorhees branch, added several new ATM locations, and introduced the First Harvest Financial Innovation Lab at Rowan College of South Jersey.

Some of the exciting initiatives we have in store for 2026 include reinvesting in our members and future community leaders, as well as expanding our account service tools and technologies to further enhance the quality of member service. This month, we launched our annual First Harvest Scholarship Program, which offers six high school senior members the opportunity to receive scholarship funds to help cover the costs of higher education.

Additional account and service reinvestments in 2026 will include a new First Harvest website scheduled to launch in the first quarter of this year. The site will feature improved search and navigation, along with expanded self-service resources, such as online account service forms, to make managing your accounts more convenient. We are also excited to introduce our new streamlined loan application platform, designed to increase efficiency and make doing business with us quicker and easier.

To enhance our member communication option, we have also rolled out text messaging for quick responses regarding general information and account-related questions. Members will receive timely text updates throughout the loan application process, resulting in faster financing, improved document uploads, and a more transparent lending experience. As a reminder, we will never text or call to ask for personal information, such as your PIN or account passwords. If you’re ever unsure, please reach out to our First Harvest Direct Contact Center to verify the communication. We are also investing in an upgraded online banking system and mobile app through 2026, to offer easier self-serve options and more transactional capabilities.

As always, we will continue to find new and innovative ways to give back to our membership and communities through better banking solutions and accessible lending options to help you harvest your financial freedom. In the coming months, our new Personal Line of Credit will add another flexible and affordable borrowing option to help members manage life’s various expenses.

As our First Harvest team looks ahead to the coming year, we would like to thank our more than 49,000 members and 700 Select Employer Groups for the unwavering trust you have placed in our credit union for over 85 years. We continue to serve our members through our six convenient branch locations, as well as our ATM-only locations. There are now also more than 45 auto dealerships across Southern and Central New Jersey where First Harvest is a lender of choice. As South Jersey’s largest member-owned financial institution, we remain committed to providing quality, affordable, and accessible financial solutions, along with world-class service to our entire membership and the Southern New Jersey community.

We wish you all a happy and healthy New Year, and as always, thank you for choosing First Harvest Credit Union!

Sincerely,

Mike Dinneen
Member
President & CEO
CEO@FirstHarvestCU.com