Senator Clinton Plugs Micro-LendingThrough CDCUs

ITHACA, N.Y. - (10/27/04) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton urged thetouted the role of community development credit unions in thebuilding of small business and job creation during a stop hereMonday at Alternatives FCU. Clinton, one of the early advocates ofcommunity development financial institutions, was on hand to helpthe leading CDCU celebrate a $1.4 million grant from the TreasuryDepartment's Community Development Financial Institutions programthat will be used to finance programs on financial literacy andmicroenterprise lending. "We need people who are going to beentrepreneurs. But you can't be entrepreneurial if you don't knowho to keep control of your inventory, if you're not sure what kindof tax advise you need, if you have never run anything before, andAlternatives provides that support," said Clinton, surrounded bydisplays of more than 20 small area business financed through thecredit union. Clinton's visit ended with the 200 attendees singing'Happy Birthday,' on the occasion of the Senator's 57thbirthday.