The following post is a paid sponsorship from Freedom First Credit Union. If your business or organization is interested in sponsorships or advertisements in The Rambler, you can learn more here.

For many people, banking has become impersonal — just a transaction. But at Freedom First Credit Union, banking offers a relationship.

More than 60,000 area residents have chosen to get financial products and services through Freedom First, taking advantage of lower fees, better interest rates, and a more personal banking experience.

At their core, credit unions and banks offer many of the same services — checking accounts, savings accounts, loans, mortgages and online banking. But unlike big banks, which are owned by shareholders and driven by profits, credit unions are not for profits owned by their members. 

Credit unions are embedded in their communities and keep money local — helping small businesses grow, funding community projects and supporting local families. 

Our history

Our founding goes back to 1956, when seven employees of General Electric in Salem formed their own credit union with $40. Fritz Kehn operated the business out of his desk drawer at the Salem GE plant. 

Thirty years later, assets reached $25 million after mergers with the employee credit unions at Virginia Tech and LewisGale Medical Center.

Today, we’ve grown to more than $1 billion in assets, and help local businesses from Lynchburg to the New River Valley and all across the Roanoke Valley grow, create jobs and keep money circulating in our region.

Our support

At Freedom First, our mission is “Helping People Prosper – Helping Communities Thrive.” Offering programs that benefit our members and the communities we serve is a vital part of what we do. 

In 2024, we assisted homebuyers with over $865,000 in down payment assistance.

Nonprofit sponsorships and grant funding accounted for over $400,000 of our giving for 2024 alone.

Our Financial Empowerment Center has helped 1,206 community members with financial counseling sessions or educational workshops led by professionally trained counselors, at no cost to them.

Bank for good

In an era where everything feels increasingly corporate and disconnected, choosing to bank local is a small but powerful way to keep your money where it matters most — right here in our community.

Go online, call or stop by one of our 14 branches to learn why Freedom First is the place where people bank for good.

If your business or organization is interested in sponsorships or advertisements in The Rambler, you can learn more here.