by Lucy Weber
lweber@mcherald.com

CAMDEN— Grabbing a quick $20 from the ATM hasn't been an option for folks in the Camden area until now.

"If you don't live in this area, you can't realize what it means," Supervisor Paul Griffin said.

The convenience of a money machine is something that residents in the southern part of Madison County take for granted, but the opening of the first automated teller machine serving residents in the northeastern part of the county was celebrated last week with a ribbon-cutting.

"This is an important day," said the Rev. Mike Barth of the Sacred Heart Family Center at the intersection of Highways 17 and 43.

The ATM is attached to the Hope Community Credit Union, which opened an office in the Catholic center about a month ago. Customers of other banks and credit unions can use the ATM through various networks.

"If somebody up here wants access to a bank, it's at least 20 miles, or maybe more, to do the things most people take for granted," said Scott Slay, director of marketing and communication for Hope.

The opening of the credit union can be a boon to people who have never had a bank account before and gives them the option of "putting money into an account that builds access and availability they can tap into," Slay said .

Hope and its sponsor the Enterprise Corporation of the Delta, help low-income people build a solid financial foundation through checking, IRAs, loans and more. "We're making a difference in the community we serve. We're taking money and turning it into business loans, mortgages and checking accounts," Slay said. "This is for a community not served by the traditional banking community."

"We're open to a group of people that's traditionally been underserved," said Lyle-Andrew Booderas, who runs the credit union office, which is open now on Mondays. "It's hard to think of people having to drive an hour in the night to get cash when they need it."

The credit union also aims to educate the people in the poverty-stricken area through financial literacy seminars.

Booderas said since opening the office he's met some folks who have never had a bank account. However, most of those with existing accounts are not building their savings and have no plans for their financial futures, and that's where Hope can help, he said.

"We want to build an economic cycle in this community. It's rural, but it shouldn't be economically impoverished," he said.

Having the ATM in the rural area is a significant step in building the community, said Tom Cook, of the Madison County Foundation, which played a role in getting the credit union in the area. "It may not seem like a big deal to have an ATM, but it is that you're able to get cash when you need it," Cook said.

"Hope is providing more than an ATM," he said. "It's a matter of convenience. This lets the people of the area know that the Madison County Foundation and businesses are being inclusive of northeast Madison County. This is one step - a small part - that contributes to the growth in this area."

Slay said Hope's mission is to "strengthen communities, build assets and improve lives. With this ATM, we're doing all three at the same time.

"We believe in Camden and the northeast Madison County area. We don't want to see it suffer because getting access to cash is tougher than it is in Jackson," he said.

Edd Hightower, who serves as the liaison between Sacred Heart and the credit union, said the ATM will serve as the selling point when he talks to church groups about joining Hope. "People are excited because it's something new to the area. So many people don't have checking accounts. This helps people get back on track."

Hope has not rolled out all the services it will provide but will build up to offering them. "That way we'll grow together," Hightower said.

So far, Hope has about 60 accounts, most of them school savings accounts for students.

The credit union is not in competition with area banks, Slay said. In fact, a number of local banks worked with Hope and the Madison County Foundation to get the ATM in the area.

"Anything that helps the community helps everybody," said Scott Evans, of Regions Bank, who was at the Thursday ribbon-cutting for the ATM.

Griffin hasn't opened an account at the credit union yet but said he plans to. As the area supervisor and a member of the Immaculate Conception congregation associated with Sacred Heart, Griffin said he can't stress enough the importance of the credit union. "These people need something to live the good life."