On the bright and sunny morning of October 12th, CDBA took the Hill for a ride.

CDBA, in collaboration with City First Bank and Industrial Bank, hosted its first ever bus tour for Congressional staff. Armed with pamphlets, schedules, and cameras, the CDBA team loaded a bus of Congressional staffers who sit on the Appropriations and Banking Committees. CDBA knows that CDFI banks do crucially important work in the DC area, and today they were going to show staffers the proof.

At the start of the tour, CDBA's own Jeannine Jacokes led things off by introducing the two DC-based CDFI banks along for the ride. These included City First's Gloria Nauden and Industrial's Ebenezer Botchway, both taking turns at the head of the bus to guide the tour. The day long journey took the staffers through many unique spots, all institutions enriching the DC community via the support of one of these banks. Stops along the tour included Trinity Plaza Day Care, THEARC - amulti-use community space, the Anacostia Arts Center, and the Elaine Ellis Health Center.   

"This tour was a great opportunity to show folks on the Hill what DC’s CDFI banks are doing in their own backyards," says Samantha Booth, CDBA's Public Policy Director and lead organizer for the event. “It was a great local reflection of the impact that our banks are having in communities nationwide.” CDBA looks forward to future opportunities to showcase the work of CDFI banks.