Reconnecting and Expanding: Welcoming Community Credit Union as an Income Advance Partner in Maine

Over the past six months, the Rhino Foods Foundation team has been working to bring the Income Advance Program to new communities across Northern New England and New York. With our Program Manager based in Maine, much of this work has been focused there to start, leading to some incredible conversations with potential business and lending partners.

Through these conversations, we've made an exciting discovery—Income Advance has already found its way to Maine in unexpected ways! We've been reconnecting with people who had heard of the program years ago, some even visiting Rhino Foods to learn more long before the Foundation was established. One of the most exciting reconnections has been with Community Credit Union, now our first official lending partner in Maine.

Community Credit Union, serving Lewiston, Auburn, and Turner, is finalizing the details of their Income Advance loan program and has begun reaching out to businesses in their community. But what makes this partnership even more meaningful is their deep-rooted commitment to financial inclusion and the history they already share with Income Advance.

Back in 2016, Jennifer Hogan, President & CEO and her team at Community Credit Union traveled to Vermont to learn about Income Advance from North Country Federal Credit Union and Rhino Foods. That visit sparked the creation of their own Community Cornerstone Program, which connects employees of local businesses with a Financial & Life Navigator to access free tools, resources, and financial support. Since launching, they've partnered with five businesses to provide this support, including their Community Cornerstone Advantage Loan—a product similar to Income Advance.

Now, through our new partnership, Community Credit Union is launching a dedicated Income Advance loan program, expanding its reach and impact even further. We couldn't be more excited to collaborate once again with Jennifer, Betsy Sibley, and their incredible team.

Beyond their work at the credit union, Jennifer and her team also lead the local Bridges Out of Poverty group, a testament to their deep commitment to financial inclusion and community well-being. This group brings together local business leaders and community stakeholders to create systemic solutions for poverty alleviation in the Lewiston-Auburn area. Through a collective impact approach, they facilitate Bridges Out of Poverty training, fostering a deeper understanding of economic hardship and engaging businesses, organizations, and individuals in meaningful conversations that drive change. Their leadership in this space aligns perfectly with the mission of Income Advance—ensuring people have access to the financial tools they need to build stability and thrive.

With Community Credit Union as a partner, and multiple other lenders in the pipeline, Maine is shaping up to be the next major market for Income Advance in 2025. We are thrilled to be on this journey together, fostering collective impact and expanding access to financial stability in the region!