Growing Roots in Maine: Income Advance Program Expands Across the State

As we reflect on 2025, it's been a year marked by major momentum for the Income Advance Program, with even more growth on the horizon for 2026. One of the most exciting developments this year has been the continued expansion of the program in Maine.

Earlier this year, we shared the news of Community Credit Union's launch of the program. They have been incredible champions. As our first partner in Maine, we've learned so much from their leadership and dedication. After a successful internal rollout to their staff, Community Credit Union partnered with the first Maine employer to offer the program: Andwell Health Partners.

Andwell, led by CHRO Christian Bartholomew, was eager to bring the program to their workforce. Their team had previously offered an employee assistance fund that many staff relied on for emergency expenses. After learning about the Income Advance Program, they appreciated the opportunity to drive more impact for their staff – supporting long-term financial stability through credit-building, emergency savings, financial navigation, and building trust with a local credit union.

The program also allowed Andwell to de-risk their employee assistance fund while better meeting the needs of their employees. This partnership marks the first official Income Advance offering in Maine.

Meanwhile, another champion lender – Midcoast Federal Credit Union (serving Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo counties) – has been actively building out the program and recently launched it internally with their team. Under the leadership of Christina Carter and Navani LaCount, Midcoast has begun offering the program to local employers. Christina, who previously worked at Community Credit Union and was first introduced to the program in 2016, was excited to reconnect with the Income Advance model and help bring it to life at Midcoast. She and Navani have been incredible thought partners, pushing the program forward, especially in streamlining application processes. They've developed a DocuSign-based employee application that streamlines enrollment and could serve as a model for other lenders as they design their programs. With their internal launch complete, we're now focused on bringing the first employer partners on board to pilot the program with Midcoast.

With both Community Credit Union and Midcoast Federal Credit Union up and running, our next step is expanding access so even more Mainers can benefit. If you are or know a Maine employer interested in creating stability of their business and workers, please reach out to Income Advance Program Manager, Chris Hynes.