In the Community

The Centers is a nonprofit organization with a goal of creating life-changing solutions for people in Northeast Ohio to lead healthier and more successful lives, and the El Barrio workforce development programs and family services are an impactful part of the resources they offer.

The deep connectivity between our team and LakewoodAlive undoubtedly stems from the unmistakable similarity between the heart of mutual banking and what LakewoodAlive describes as the heart of all they do — fostering and sustaining vibrant neighborhoods.

In 2023 First Federal Lakewood once again committed to support the organization with a two-year $60,000 sponsorship.

Between volunteering at our local schools to helping at the local food pantry, our team is busy! Check out how we’re getting involved in 2024.

Learning about personal finance is important for tomorrow’s cosmic explorers! Join our team by helping my astronaut pals and I complete the 7 missions in this book.

There’s no better feeling than giving to the children who need it most. Over the past five years our team has been a supporter of Shoes and Clothes for Kids.

Our future relies on our children. That’s why investing in the young adults and students in our communities is a crucial and essential part of our bank’s mission. Teaming up with Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) helped us do exactly that.

Our Fairview Park and North Olmsted branches collected items to donate to they YWCA Greater Cleveland Norma Herr Women’s Center

The PPP loan helped so many small, locally-owned businesses in our community get back on their feet. Check out how we were able to help.

We understand that financial wellness is the key to success, which gives anyone access to learn the financial skills they need to buy their first home or help pay for their child’s education. That’s where our #GetWellwithFFL campaign and FFL University playlists come in.

Love working with Caroline Purcell!

From school alumni to community members, we all share a similar quality: we all love to show school spirit.

on March 10, 2021 we hosted a virtual First-Time Homebuyer event featuring two of our very own loan officers, Julia Rutkowski and Doug Mathews

My favorite part of my job is that I am able to create and foster relationships within the community.

Seasons change, and this year, it feels truer than ever. Our passion and energy have been focused on helping our community members and businesses navigate a crisis unlike any we’ve ever seen.

From setting budgets to saving, we are proud to be sponsors of the 2021 EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee and help high school students learn about financial literacy.

The holiday season can be a difficult time for many people, especially in 2020. As a community bank, our goal is to help lift-up the areas we serve and last year was no different; here are a few instances of our teams and our customers giving back for the holidays.

There’s something for kids of all ages in our 2021 Activity Book!

What better way to kick off the holiday season than with 12 days of excitement and some seriously amazing prizes?

Have you ever worked at a place where you just clicked with your colleagues and couldn’t wait to come back? Kyle Slovick, an intern-turned-employee, did!

From handing out decorated Valentine’s Day cards to local nursing homes to participating in the Fairview Park parade, Tiffany Hill, branch manager at North Olmsted and Fairview Park, is always looking for ways to give back to our local communities.

The Ask A Banker Series features First Federal Lakewood experts answering questions and providing advice and information about a variety of financial topics.

Hear why Rosenberg Advertising has enjoyed about switching from a ‘big bank’ to First Federal Lakewood

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we have enjoyed an ongoing relationship with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

My absolute favorite thing is knowing that I work for an incredible company

Mike Lamping, our Columbus market president and Dublin Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award recipient.

There’s something for everyone in our 2020 Activity Book! With fun activities for any age, it’s also a great way to focus on financial literacy and start the conversation with your kids about developing positive short- and long-term financial habits and skills.

The First Federal Lakewood team was ecstatic to receive an invite to the 100 Black Men Ball & Awards Gala, an event that celebrated and highlighted community leaders.

Our kind and compassionate team member, Sarah F., has been busy making masks to share with her community!

What can provide fun AND education for your little ones? Our 2022 Activity Book! Celebrate Financial Literacy Month (and every month out of the year!) by getting the conversation started with your kids about developing healthy financial habits and skills.

The team’s willingness to work above and beyond the norm to push them through was pretty inspiring

First Federal Lakewood and our employees are consistently looking to serve our community as an essential part of our mission. One way we do that is by investing in the teens and young adults in our community.

We highly recommend Nelson Custer for your home mortgage needs!

It’s never too late to start on a path of a healthy financial future. Chalana Williams, SVP, Chief Community Development Officer at First Federal Lakewood, saw an opportunity to educate students on banking careers and the importance of financial health.

What’s better than converting customers to eStatements and planting trees in the process?

There’s no better feeling than giving the gift of time to local students, and that’s exactly what the First Federal Lakewood team did!

What does community mean to you? For us, it is at the center of everything we do.

Back to school season is usually filled with new backpacks and fresh crayons, first-day outfits and the electric excitement of finding out who your teacher is.

Figuring out a career path can be tricky – especially for students. There are so many different paths to take that it can get overwhelming. Where do you even start?

From budgeting basics to house-buying seminars, the NID Virtual Talks give people an opportunity to learn about topics in the comfort of their own home.

Andrew M. and John S. interned at First Federal Lakewood during the summer of 2022. Read on to learn what their experience was like.

There’s nothing more fulfilling than teaching – especially when it comes to financial literacy. When the Oriana House, a Cleveland-based community corrections and chemical dependency treatment agency, reached out to First Federal Lakewood, it was an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up.

In partnership with Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.), our team headed to John Marshall High School in Cleveland to host financial literacy classes for 11th and 12th graders.

Lauren Golick’s smile never left her face as she talked about the Fostering Hope donation drive, an effort that she describes as meaningful and impactful.

At First Federal Lakewood, 2022 was a busy time for community involvement, exciting events, and much more. From hosting financial literacy classes to sponsoring local events, we’re recapping all of our favorite memories from the last 12 months.

Supporting our community is at the forefront of everything we do. From volunteering at schools to backing local businesses and organizations, our team is busy!

First Federal Lakewood has been supporting Youth Challenge since 2007, an organization that was founded on the principle of using adaptive sports as a channel for personal growth.

There’s something for kids of all ages in our 2023 Activity Book.

There’s no better feeling than helping someone in need.