$4.1M Unlocked: Starlight Highlighted in SLCCU's Annual Impact Report

For decades, St. Louis Community Credit Union (SLCCU) has built its identity around a simple belief: everyone deserves access to financial tools that help them thrive.

For a credit union serving one of the most economically diverse regions in the Midwest, that can mean going beyond traditional banking products. Members walk in facing food insecurity, broken furnaces, utility shutoffs—immediate crises that demand real cash, not just financial advice.

The credit union needed a way to put money directly in members' pockets. The help existed through government programs, local assistance, and emergency relief, but staff had no scalable way to connect members to what they qualified for. SLCCU integrated Starlight (deployed under the name Pathways Resource Connector) to close that gap.

The Impact

In year one, over 275 members discovered they qualified for more than $4.1 million in annual benefits—an average of $15,000 per member. This included:

• 55% eligible for SNAP
• 54% for Medicaid
• 52% for the Earned Income Tax Credit
• 39% for the Child Tax Credit
• 26% for subsidized childcare
• 16% qualified for FEMA disaster assistance in the wake of the May 2025 tornadoes

How It Works

Many SLCCU members are low-to-moderate income households—a population eligible for government benefits they never access. The programs exist, but discoverability is broken: members don't know what's available, eligibility rules change by zip code, and applications are complex enough to give up on.

Starlight solves the discoverability problem. When a member uses Starlight, they enter basic information—zip code, household size, income—and instantly see what they qualify for: SNAP, utility relief, childcare assistance, tax credits, local programs. The platform provides step-by-step application guidance for each program, removing the guesswork.

It sits alongside SLCCU's financial education seminars, coaching sessions, and matched savings programs. Members who access benefits through Starlight often go on to open savings accounts, take out loans, and build long-term financial stability with the credit union—the kind of loyalty that starts when an institution helps you through crisis.

As Paul Woodruff, VP of Strategic Initiatives, put it: "We've always believed that our job doesn't end when a member opens an account or gets a loan approved. Starlight lets us act on that belief in a real, practical way. When someone leaves knowing they may qualify for food assistance or help with their utility bill, that's not a side benefit of banking with us. That's the point."

Recognized at the Annual Impact Report Launch

The partnership between SLCCU and Starlight isn't just reflected in the numbers. SLCCU hosted Starlight at their annual impact report launch event, where Starlight was recognized for its contribution to St. Louis' community impact in 2025.

SLCCU's leadership has been candid about the challenge facing St. Louis's economic development: good intentions aren't enough when problems are systemic. As President and CEO Kirk Mills has written, progress requires "shared ownership, patient capital and practical action." Starlight fits that philosophy. Walking through the door should connect members to more opportunity than they came in with. For credit unions serving communities where the need is real and the margin for error is thin, that kind of trust is the foundation everything else is built on.

Join the Movement

Starlight is helping credit unions expand their impact by making financial assistance programs more accessible. Want to integrate this into your member services? Email us at hello@get-starlight.com.

Click here to see the full case study

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Published April 9, 2026