​For several generations, farm families in North MS have produced, packed and shipped sweet potatoes that come from a rich, fertile soil. The people of Vardaman have embraced their farming history, proclaiming it the "Sweet Potato Capital of the World."

446 Farms in Vardaman is Renaissance's first agricultural business loan client. We are excited to be a part of the continuing success of this multi-generational farm, focused on bringing wholesome and nutritious sweet potatoes to America's consumers as a part of the farm-to-table produce industry.

​Renaissance Community Loan Fund, a statewide non-profit community lender, has been awarded $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The grant is part of the highly competitive 2020 CDFI Program, which was established to serve low-income communities across the country through financial and technical assistance.
 
RCLF, which provides tailored mortgage and business lending options, along with personalized financial counseling for all of its clients, will use the award to expand accessibility to its products and services across Mississippi. RCLF is the only Community Development Financial Institution located in Mississippi with 100% of its activities remaining in Mississippi. RCLF’s primary objective is to expand economic opportunity to all communities in Mississippi.
 
“The CDFI award will allow RCLF to continue our responsible and affordable lending in Mississippi,” said Kimberly LaRosa, president and CEO of Renaissance Community Loan Fund. “We are committed to the communities in which we live and serve, especially those areas in the state that are often underserved or not served.”
 
For information on Renaissance Community Loan Fund and its lending programs that are available throughout Mississippi, visit www.rclfms.com.

The Renaissance Community Loan Fund (RCLF) Family has spent the past week watching the painful events taking place throughout our country, and we are heartbroken. At RCLF, we believe that Martin Luther King, Jr. was right when he said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
 
This country has been through so much this year with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit black communities harder due in part to the social inequities that exist in this country. We continue to witness racism, oppression, injustice and hate towards People of Color, which has led to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others before them. We share in the outrage of these deaths and mourn the destruction of communities and the division in our country.  
 
The RCLF Family is going to listen, learn and advocate for the inclusion of People of Color in our communities. As a mission driven organization, we will continue to serve the underserved communities, building equity and relationships and providing needed financial education and resources. We will work together with those in the community to ensure the fair treatment and justice for all people, so that together we can benefit from the gifts of diversity. Our strength is our diversity and we must continue to build on this foundation, which is fundamental to our future as a society and as a business.
 
Renaissance Community Loan Fund stands with you.