WASHINGTON – NCUA Board Member Gigi Hyland celebrated the opening of a new branch office of HEW Federal Credit Union in a low-income area of Washington, D.C. with community officials last week.

The new branch will provide affordable financial services, such as free checking, mortgages, savings accounts, auto loans, credit rebuilding and financial counseling, to the surrounding low- to moderate-income community.

HEW FCU employees rehabilitated a convenience store into a branch, which Hyland commended. "You have accomplished amazing work here in turning this former convenience store into a welcoming branch where community residents can benefit from the credit union's host of services," she said. "As not for profit financial cooperatives, credit unions are consistently helping people from all walks of life and communities to achieve the dream of financial self sufficiency. You are helping to make that dream a reality."