New York – NCUA Board Chairman Dennis Dollar toured two New York low income credit unions to help highlight the agency's Access Across America initiative and to publicize credit unions' work in primarily Hispanic areas. Both $10 million credit unions, Bethex Federal Credit Union and Lower East Side People's Federal Credit Union have predominantly low-income and Hispanic memberships. "These two community development credit unions represent real success stories for what Access Across America is all about," said Dollar, "Both Bethex Federal Credit Union and Lower East Side People's Federal Credit Union have seized the challenge to be innovative and have proven themselves successful in meeting the needs of their communities and neighborhoods. They are truly making a positive difference." Bethex Federal Credit Union, founded and chartered over 32 years ago in the Bronx, was launched as part of an initiative with a local adult education class for women in a welfare program and since, the credit union has been a long-time partner of a welfare-to-work program, the agency said. Since 1986, the Lower East Side People's Federal Credit Union (LESPFCU) has served the lower east side of Manhattan in New York City, the agency said.