Northeast Community Credit Union recently donated $175 to the East Tennessee Christian Children’s Home and Academy to help them continue their goals.

Each year, NCCU donates a total of $500 to ETCHA as part of its community charitable contribution efforts.

ETCHA provides help to at-risk adolescent girls and their families. ETCHA offers on-campus housing, education and ministry, and depends on donations to help keep their ministry going.

To donate to ETCHA, call 423-542-4423 or visit, www.etcha.org.

Northeast Community Credit Union has been serving the community since October 1952 when it was chartered as a credit union by the State of Tennessee. Northeast Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative. It is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Carter, Johnson, Washington, Unicoi and Sullivan counties along with their immediate family members.

Northeast Community Credit Union presented a $500 donation to Assistance and Resource Ministries (ARM) as part of their annual partnership with the non-profit agency.

ARM relies on community donations to provide assistance to hundreds of people each month. ARM provides meals, monthly food boxes, clothing, baby supplies, vouchers for additional household needs, referrals to other agencies, employment counseling and much more.

NCCU has a long-standing relationship with ARM and has supported the agency throughout the years with fundraisers, volunteer hours and collection efforts.

“The folks at ARM work hard to benefit the needy in Carter County and help with necessities for people who can use a hand,” NCCU President/CEO Teresa Arnold said. “We are thankful for the opportunity to help and support their cause.”

To donate to ARM or for more information, call 423-542-0919 or visit http://www.armfoodpantry.com.

Northeast Community Credit Union has been serving the community since October 1952 when it was chartered as a credit union by the State of Tennessee. Northeast Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative. It is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Carter, Johnson, Washington, Unicoi and Sullivan counties along with their immediate family members.

Mr. William ‘Bill’ Armstrong, at 92 years young, was recently recognized with the Director Emeritus award for his service at Northeast Community Credit Union.  Mr. Armstrong has been a motivating inspiration at the Credit Union for 70 years. He, along with some other local educators, filed a petition in October 1952 with Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions to charter Elizabethton Teachers Credit Union. Mr. Armstrong said, “In 1952 educators often found it hard to borrow money due to not receiving a year-round paycheck.  Many lenders considered it risky since we didn’t get paid during summer months”.  Each of the Credit Union’s initial charter members deposited $5 which was (and is today) the value of one share of ‘ownership’ to start the Credit Union.  As a financial not-for-profit cooperative, the Credit Union operated by pooling resources of depositors to make small loans to its ‘members’, those who choose to use credit union financial services.  He recalls that the first credit union loan was for a teacher to buy an appliance that was desperately needed. “That first loan was small, but it showed us how well the credit union model worked to help others; I was excited to be part of that.”  Later, the Credit Union changed its name to Northeast Community Credit Union to better reflect its availability to all residents of Carter and surrounding counties in addition to schoolteachers. Mr. Armstrong served as Credit Union Board Chairman during several years of explosive growth and helped lead the way to an expansion of credit union products and services.

Since 1952, Mr. Armstrong has continuously served in volunteer roles, dedicating 70 years to help continue the Credit Union’s mission of ‘people helping people’.  He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vice Chairman, Credit Committee member and Supervisory Committee member.  In 1998, Mr. Armstrong was chosen from volunteers in over 11,000 credit unions nationwide as ‘National Director of the Year’.  This prestigious award seeks to “honor the volunteer who demonstrates the spirit of the credit union movement of people helping people”.

Kathy Campbell, former Credit Union President and CEO, says, “I’ve been privileged to work for him and with him for the last 40 years and in all that time, I have never heard him say an unkind word about anyone.  His kind heart and compassionate ways set him apart and inspire us all.”

Under Armstrong’s leadership, the Credit Union has grown from $5 deposits and a single appliance loan, to over $150 million in deposits, $177 million in assets, more than 3000 loans on the books with locations in Elizabethton, Roan Mountain, and Johnson City.  Teresa C. Arnold, current Credit Union President/CEO, stated “I think it’s his wisdom and kindness that stand out the most. I’ve known him for nearly 30 years and I have so much love and respect for him. It’s obvious he puts a lot of thought into every decision, and he’s always thinking about what’s best for other people. We are so blessed to have him as a driving force in our Credit Union and our community.”

In addition to his work with Northeast Community Credit Union, Mr. Armstrong as contributed to his community as a schoolteacher and principal (including ‘2010 Educator of the Year’), a member of the County Commission, Planning Committee, Parks and Recreation Committee, Nominating Committee, Finance Committee, and Education Committee.  He was a Board Member for the Main Street organization, co-chairman for the State of Tennessee Bicentennial Celebration, Board Chairman for Senior Citizens and served on the First Tennessee Human Resource Agency’s Vision Council.  Armstrong has participated in the Senior Citizens State Games of Tennessee in tennis and has won gold, silver, and bronze medals in the sport.  He served as Signalman aboard Landing Craft Infantry vessels in the Pacific during his military service and is a member of First United Methodist Church. Other community service includes his involvement with Dashiell Masonic Lodge, American Association of Retired Persons, Carter County Retired Teachers Association, Boy Scouts of America, and East Tennessee Kidney Foundation.

Northeast Community Credit Union recently held a ribbon cutting event for the new Cyclone Branch, a student-run branch located inside Elizabethton High School.

Congressman John Holsclaw, Jr. praised the initiative for providing students with an invaluable project-based education.

The branch is the second student-run initiative that Northeast Community Credit Union has begun in Carter County. In 2019, the Unaka Ranger student-run branch opened at Unaka High School and continues working with its students.  Collaborating with school personal finance and business instructors, administrators and advisors, the Credit Union has helped many students develop practical saving and spending plans, learn what debt is about, and other personal finance concepts that are easier to grasp using real-life experiences.

The school branches are open a few hours each week.  Students learn to conduct financial transactions and take park in various training exercises led by NCCU personnel. The curriculum is planned to coincide with classroom lesson plans so the students can gain real life experience while receiving instruction on key personal finance topics. Through experiential learning programs, students learn about business, customer service, economic systems, how to make and stick to a budget, and much more.

Starting next semester at EHS, students will be selected to work in the Cyclone Branch through an actual interview process that also includes individual feedback to help students prepare for future job interviews. Students can earn community service credits required for scholarships and gain beneficial skills that will help them in workplaces later in their lives.

NCCU President/CEO Teresa Arnold said the opening of the EHS Branch was a group effort involving Elizabethton High School staff, the Northeast Community Credit Union Board of Directors, credit union staff, and the Tennessee State Department of Financial Institutions. “Giving students this advantage as they start their adult lives and careers is a definite plus for them, their families, and our whole community.  Sound judgement, common sense, and strong financial principals are important to making wise money choices.  We’ve seen how conservative choices impact personal resources as well as the health and wellbeing of our community.  We appreciate another opportunity to make a positive impact by helping students be better prepared to enter the workforce.”

REMEMBER:  ALWAYS carry both an NCCU Debit Card AND an NCCU Visa Credit Card. Cards use different networks for processing transactions & having BOTH our cards gives you a backup plan.  When a network isn’t working or a merchant restricts your purchase, DON’T be stranded with no payment options – PREPARE ahead by carrying BOTH a debit and credit card!