WARREN, OH (October 24, 2024) — At the musical extravaganza known as The Open, 7 17 Credit Union announced it is significantly expanding its commitment to Youngstown and downtown small business owners by launching an up to one million-dollar initiative to uplift the community beyond last Saturday’s successful event.
The Open was held to support downtown businesses that have struggled over the past few years, starting with the pandemic and subsequent road closures, restructuring, and infrastructure improvements. Then, the natural gas explosion happened in May which brought additional devastating challenges to the area’s commerce.
“When we began to look at how 7 17 could help, it was obvious we could make a difference by partnering with the city, JAC Live, our Chamber, and other leaders who have been such powerful advocates for years,” said 7 17 Credit Union President and CEO John Demmler. “Being the presenting sponsor of The Downtown Open aligns with our mission to help people live better lives financially and support the communities we serve. But it can’t end with one event. We knew we had to push this one step further to create lasting change,” Demmler added.
In furthering 7 17’s commitment to the revival of downtown, the credit union will provide up to one million dollars to be funneled back into our urban core. For every auto loan refinanced through 7 17, the credit union will give up to $250 in gift cards to support downtown businesses.
“We want to align ourselves with what our partners at Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, the Chamber, and others are doing to make lasting change and fulfill our purpose of supporting the communities we serve by banking on each other, Demmler went on to say. “We intend to build upon the ‘Forever Youngstown’ campaign through 2025 with additional ways we can give back, so stay tuned.”
For businesses interested in participating in this Forever Youngstown initiative, 7 17 is encouraging them to reach out to Dorian Smith, Senior Vice President of Business Development at 7 17 Credit Union.
7 17 Credit Union is the largest in Northeast Ohio with 13 branch locations and more than 110,000 members. Established in 1957, we’re proud to help people improve their lives financially and support the communities we serve. Anyone living or working in Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana, Portage, Stark, or Summit Counties is eligible to open accounts with 7 17.
Eric Lanham
7 17 Credit Union
Senior Vice President, Marketing
330.372.8076
