100 signatures reached
To: David Elmer, CEO of First Community Credit Union
Keep First Community in the Illinois Valley
BECAUSE banking services are a fundamental need for many individuals, families, businesses and non-profits, and
BECAUSE other banks in Cave Junction have closed in recent years, leaving only 2, including First Community Credit Union (FCCU), and
BECAUSE no single bank can meet the needs of ALL citizens of the community, and
BECAUSE other banking services such as small loans are not available elsewhere in the Illinois Valley, and
BECAUSE FCCU has for decades existed in our community and advertised itself as a COMMUNITY institution, with the intent of meeting the banking needs of our local community, and
BECAUSE the nearest other banks are located at least 30 miles from Cave Junction, and
BECAUSE many low income citizens of the Illinois Valley do not have the time, ability and/or means to travel to Grants Pass, and
BECAUSE the global crisis of climate change demands that we all reduce our carbon footprint, by, among other things, reducing the miles we drive for personal or business purposes, and
BECAUSE FCCU has announced the imminent closure of its Cave Junction branch office, and
BECAUSE such closure would create undue hardship for hundreds of local persons and businesses,
THEREFORE, WE THE UNDERSIGNED PEOPLE OF THE ILLINOIS VALLEY, do petition the board of directors of FCCU to keep the Cave Junction branch open, while further exploring options in partnership with the local account holders.
BECAUSE other banks in Cave Junction have closed in recent years, leaving only 2, including First Community Credit Union (FCCU), and
BECAUSE no single bank can meet the needs of ALL citizens of the community, and
BECAUSE other banking services such as small loans are not available elsewhere in the Illinois Valley, and
BECAUSE FCCU has for decades existed in our community and advertised itself as a COMMUNITY institution, with the intent of meeting the banking needs of our local community, and
BECAUSE the nearest other banks are located at least 30 miles from Cave Junction, and
BECAUSE many low income citizens of the Illinois Valley do not have the time, ability and/or means to travel to Grants Pass, and
BECAUSE the global crisis of climate change demands that we all reduce our carbon footprint, by, among other things, reducing the miles we drive for personal or business purposes, and
BECAUSE FCCU has announced the imminent closure of its Cave Junction branch office, and
BECAUSE such closure would create undue hardship for hundreds of local persons and businesses,
THEREFORE, WE THE UNDERSIGNED PEOPLE OF THE ILLINOIS VALLEY, do petition the board of directors of FCCU to keep the Cave Junction branch open, while further exploring options in partnership with the local account holders.
Why is this important?
Not everyone in the Illinois Valley (IV) of southern Oregon has a need for banking services, or has a bank account. (In fact, one of the problems First Community (FCCU) has identified as a cause of the Cave Junction branch's poor performance is the heavy emphasis on a cash economy in the IV.) BUT... a large number of us DO rely on banking services, including a savings repository, personal and business loans, notary services, etc.
Many aspects of banking can be done remotely, such as transfers of funds from account to account, automatic electronic payments, direct deposit of paychecks, etc. There are smart phone apps that allow scanning of checks, for remote deposit. But when you have cash or checks, and no smart phone app (many low income people don't have smart phones, or don't have the expertise to use such apps), by golly, you just have to go in to the local branch to deposit it. You know this... if you hold onto a ton of cash, don't you feel constantly vulnerable to theft or loss of the cash? I do.
So then if you have to go to a physical branch office, and it's located 30 or more miles away, that's a problem. Some community members do not have vehicles, or do not have enough time off from their jobs to make the trip. Many of us are trying to make FEWER trips in our vehicles, not MORE, due to climate change. And that old Highway 199 is notorious as being deadly, one of the worst in the nation, especially in winter with slick roads and/or dense fog.
The presence of multiple financial institutions in a community is evidence of a vital economy (or at least someone's faith in the potential of that economy), and acts to encourage more investment of various kinds in that community. Faith and investment beget more faith and investment. Conversely, closing a bank can devastate a community. We have already suffered closure of two other banks in recent years. How much more abandonment can the IV withstand? Since FCCU has the word 'community' in its very name, I think it should walk its talk, and help support our community. FCCU needs to work WITH its community to find mutually acceptable solutions to its problems, rather than just bailing because the going has gotten tough.
So... we are asking FCCU to keep the Cave Junction branch office open, as a way of truly serving and empowering and aiding in the development of OUR COMMUNITY.
Many aspects of banking can be done remotely, such as transfers of funds from account to account, automatic electronic payments, direct deposit of paychecks, etc. There are smart phone apps that allow scanning of checks, for remote deposit. But when you have cash or checks, and no smart phone app (many low income people don't have smart phones, or don't have the expertise to use such apps), by golly, you just have to go in to the local branch to deposit it. You know this... if you hold onto a ton of cash, don't you feel constantly vulnerable to theft or loss of the cash? I do.
So then if you have to go to a physical branch office, and it's located 30 or more miles away, that's a problem. Some community members do not have vehicles, or do not have enough time off from their jobs to make the trip. Many of us are trying to make FEWER trips in our vehicles, not MORE, due to climate change. And that old Highway 199 is notorious as being deadly, one of the worst in the nation, especially in winter with slick roads and/or dense fog.
The presence of multiple financial institutions in a community is evidence of a vital economy (or at least someone's faith in the potential of that economy), and acts to encourage more investment of various kinds in that community. Faith and investment beget more faith and investment. Conversely, closing a bank can devastate a community. We have already suffered closure of two other banks in recent years. How much more abandonment can the IV withstand? Since FCCU has the word 'community' in its very name, I think it should walk its talk, and help support our community. FCCU needs to work WITH its community to find mutually acceptable solutions to its problems, rather than just bailing because the going has gotten tough.
So... we are asking FCCU to keep the Cave Junction branch office open, as a way of truly serving and empowering and aiding in the development of OUR COMMUNITY.