NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — In Niagara Falls, where residents say access to basic banking services has been limited, a new resource is bringing help directly to their doorsteps.
BankOnBuffalo and the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc. have launched a “financial wellness” partnership designed to tackle what they call a “banking desert” in parts of the city.
The initiative features a mobile banking unit that will stop weekly at the Health Center’s Niagara Falls location — offering residents access to essential banking services, budgeting tools, and even homeownership opportunities.
For residents like Gloria J. Dolson, the mobile bank is more than a convenience; it’s a relief.
“It helps people with their finances, which has become a great problem in our city,” Dolson said. “Niagara Falls seemed to be forgotten about… even with the health center, it was a great move for this city to pick up the morale.”
Gwendolyn Streeter-Walker, a Niagara Falls resident and founder of the Royal Christian Faith Center and the Garden and Highland Community Block Club, said the service is especially important for people who can’t easily get to a bank.
“There’s a lot of people that do not have transportation. We have a lot of seniors and disabled residents here,” Streeter-Walker said. “It’s really good to have BankOnBuffalo here and not only that, it’s mobile. That’s the great part about it.”
WATCH: Mobile banking unit brings financial wellness to Niagara Falls
Stephanie Cowart, Special Program Manager for the Community Health Center of Buffalo, said the partnership bridges financial health and physical wellness, two areas that are deeply connected.
“It’s a desert of sorts, and financial literacy will be great as a part of this partnership,” Cowart said. “Having a bank here that can do everything a brick-and-mortar bank can do is just wonderful.”
BankOnBuffalo leaders say the initiative goes beyond banking, aiming to improve residents’ overall quality of life.
“A big part of financial wellness, especially in these desert areas, is home ownership,” said Michael Anderson, Senior Vice President and Market Executive for BankOnBuffalo. “One of the great things we like to say at BankOnBuffalo is we have a unique program with the Open Your Door Mortgage.”
The program, which offers $10,000 to qualifying homebuyers in majority-minority neighborhoods, is one of several tools being introduced as part of the partnership. The mobile bank and new education efforts will also help residents open accounts, build credit, and manage their finances more effectively, all while reducing stress.
“To come here and to relieve stress on the community itself and for older people, such a blessing,” Dolson said.
The BankOnBufflao Mobile unit is in Niagara Falls every Thursday from 11am to 4pm. You can find additional information here.
