CU Adds Underserved City of Philadelphia

PHILIDELPHIA-On Jan. 11, NCUA approved American Heritage Federal Credit Union to adopt the city of Philadelphia, with a population of approximately 1.5 million, as an underserved area. President and CEO Bruce Foulke, who has worked in the credit union community for more than 27 years, expressed excitement over the news. “It really works into our plan. We already serve a number of underserved areas in Philadelphia,” he explained. American Heritage plans to put a branch in the poverty-stricken Hunting Park area where the last bank just recently pulled out. “A lot of people need a credit union out here,” Foulke stated. He said that, prior to the underserved area approval, people would come in off the street looking to join the credit union but had to be turned away. The credit union offers services tailored to low-income households, including 40-year fixed rate mortgages. “We have five branches in underserved areas already. It just complements what we were already doing,” Foulke said. American Heritage is a $450 million institution serving over 70,000 members through over 600 sponsor companies. The credit union was awarded CUNA’s Dora Maxwell Community Involvement Award in 2004 and won on the state level for 12 of the last 13 years. It was founded as Budd Company Workers Federal Credit Union in 1948 and has 15 offices in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, as well as Philadelphia.