Esmeralda Valencia

Esmeralda’s has been a member since 2002. Esmeralda learned about BCFCU through a community organization called “Make the Road by Walking” and joined when she saw an opportunity to buy a restaurant. She bought the restaurant in disrepair, but with a loan and some technical assistance from BCFCU she has turned it into a beautiful and successful establishment. She believes that the credit union is very beneficial to the community and helps those in need: “They offer not only loans, but also moral support and education.”

When Lydia Paul came to the credit union, she was desperate. Her business was in dire straits due to a series of break-ins which had left her thousands of dollars in debt to her suppliers. Lydia went to bed each night, “wondering if the next day would be the last for my business and the end of my dream of being an independent business woman.” After being turned down by the bank, Lydia had “low expectations” that she would find the financial help that she needed. So when Lydia was approved for a loan, she was overjoyed. “Today my business is starting to turn around, and I can sleep at night again.”

Stephen Beatrice and Jody Asnes have worked in film and television set design for many years. Over the years, they amassed a considerable inventory of vintage furniture, housewares, and art supplies from the sets they worked on. In early 2005, the opportunity came along to lease a space along Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg, an area which was starting to breathe new life after years of neglect. They decided the time was right to take their vintage wares out of storage and place them for sale in the space they named Roulette. As with many start up businesses, they did not go in with much financial backing, and relied on high-rate credit cards to pay the bills. They came to the credit union for help with the final leasehold improvements, and were able to purchase the security gate and mobile heating unit they needed to open the doors. Now, two years later, Roulette’s business is booming, and Stephen and Jody are well into their second loan paying off those credit cards.