Message from Our CEO: Summer Reinvestments and Community Outreach

Dear Fellow Members,

I hope you and your family are enjoying the sunshine and summer season. As we enter the second half of the year, we are excited to carry out several giveback initiatives that reinvest in the communities and valued members we proudly serve.

This June, our Scholarship Committee selected six 2026 First Harvest Scholarship recipients, continuing our commitment to supporting student members as they pursue their academic goals. In total, we awarded $14,500 in scholarships to these students and to local educational programs across our region. We also continue to offer affordable student loan financing through our partners at College Ave, helping make the application and education-funding experience simpler and more accessible.

We are also proud to partner with local credit unions to lead the third annual New Jersey Credit Unions Food Cooperative, taking place throughout the summer. This initiative uplifts our New Jersey neighbors and provide meals to families and students of all ages across the state. We recognize the growing challenges of food inequity and affordability in New Jersey and believe that credit unions have a responsibility to support our communities beyond traditional financial services.

Later this month, we will welcome approximately 30 students from Camden County to our First Harvest Financial Innovation Lab at Rowan College of South Jersey’s Gloucester County campus. This program helps build career readiness and exposes students to promising futures in the financial services industry. In September, we will host our annual Community Shredder Event at our Deptford branch, offering members a safe and secure way to dispose of private documents.

This year through June, First Harvest has provided more than $90 million in new loans to our members, and we have welcomed over 2,000 new members to our credit union family as well. Guided by the “people helping people” philosophy, our institution is committed to serving members and communities every day. As we continue expanding our affordable borrowing options and savings solutions, our focus remains on the well-being of our more than 50,000 members and the communities we serve. Through June, we have paid our members over $3.1 in dividends. In addition to great rates, we are committed to being one of the most affordable financial institutions in New Jersey as well, with low fees and checking accounts with no minimum balance requirements.

Thank you for your continued loyalty and trust in our credit union, and as always, thank you for choosing First Harvest!

Sincerely,

Mike Dinneen
Member
President & CEO
ceo@firstharvestcu.com