The rural county of Abbeville South Carolina is dotted with small closely-knit towns that are working hard to buck the trend of lost jobs, bare storefronts and dwindling population. It’s a persistent but an all too necessary endeavor to capture new opportunities in Abbeville County. It is a community of hardworking, kind and loving people – many of whom place their trust in the grace and purpose of a higher power.

Greater Abbeville Federal Credit Union has been a staple of Abbeville County for more than 45 years. It began in 1972 as Flexible Tubing Employees Federal Credit Union as a single sponsor credit union, but in 1985 the name was changed to reflect the addition of other select employee groups. It would eventually become a community chartered credit union serving all of Abbeville County.

Over time, the credit union simply became known as GAFCU – an acronym much in the same way as BMW, CVS or Geico. We know they once stood for something, but we can’t quite put our finger on it (Bavarian Motor Works, Consumer Value Stores, Government Employees Insurance Company).

continue reading »