PORTLAND, Ore. – The $1.5 billion Portland Teachers Credit Union has furthered its longstanding support of a local Hispanic credit union with a $150,000 grant. The credit union, Hacienda Community, is a $2.1 million credit union serving primarily the Portland area's estimated 120,000 residents and has been open since 2002. PTCU has served as a mentor to Hacienda since the outset. "The Latino community needs accessible, culturally appropriate financial services," stated Cliff Dias, PTCU President/CEO. "Because of contrasts in cultures, Latino families and individuals have a difficult time establishing credit, complicating their ability to obtain loan and deposit services at a reasonable value. Hacienda addresses these problems and PTCU is pleased to support them in their quest." Portland Teachers has been a significant supporter of Hacienda since the beginning, providing accounting, networking services, back office support, data processing, payroll services, and employee training. Office furniture and equipment were also donated in addition to an alarm system and construction assistance at the Hacienda office, PTCU said. Hacienda has booked $1.5 million in loans and gathered over 1,100 members since it opened. PTCU said the grant was meant to help the younger institution move closer to self-sufficiency.