Dear Friends,
I am honored and thrilled to celebrate 25 years of Community Lenders. We started out in 1999 with some very small loans, and it has been wonderful to see our loan sizes and number of people benefiting significantly increase over the years.
Community Lenders measures its success by the communities we support and the people who live and work within them. To reflect on these milestones, we are happy to share this year’s annual report, “25 Years: Remembering Our Roots.”
Reflecting on the loan application for Compound Impact’s Community House, it took me back to my roots with Community Lenders – almost 18 years ago – when all loans were well under one million. But small loans can indeed be mighty. It felt so rewarding to help a relatively new company that is making such a big difference in the lives of refugees.
The second project that we provided financing for is Gateway West, which offers affordable housing to families. Delaware Valley Development Corporation (DVDC) transformed a brownfield site that had industrial pollution into an Act 2 environmental cleanup property. It is now a safe and comforting community that many call home.
Shuman Development Group is responsible for another transformational project. Middle Holdings, LLC, referred to as The Lincoln Tower Apartments, are a part of the historic Abraham Lincoln Hotel – the tallest, privately-owned building in Berks County that dates back to 1930. For this project, hotel rooms were converted into affordable apartments on floors 10-18.
Of course, history is rarely created by luck. These homes and all the projects from the past 25 years would not be possible without our member banks and community representatives. By bringing housing and commercial development projects to cities and neighborhoods, we are cultivating stronger communities day after day and year after year.
Thank you all for your continued support!
Now, let’s remember our roots and celebrate the projects of 2024.
Best Regards,
Audrey McMichael
Executive Director