Founded in 2000 as a grassroots response to a wave of robberies and muggings targeting Durham’s Latino immigrants, Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) aims to serve as a safe place for Latinos to save money, access credit, and build wealth. The credit union has 75,000 members, 65 percent of whom were previously unbanked, and has $277 million in assets. To enable deposits to serve as community assets, LCCU offers CDs that provide members with a way to earn interest while providing capital that can be used to help area residents purchase a first home or afford higher education. The credit union also partners with the Latino Community Development Center to provide free financial literacy workshops in branches across North Carolina.