Launches Economic Empowerment Coalition in Niagara County
Niagara County Financial Literacy Coalition Will Have
Sites in Lockport and Niagara Falls
October 29, 2013, 10:00 am
1522 Main Street, Niagara Falls
While there is no magic cure, Consumer Credit Counseling
Service (CCCS) has established the Niagara County Financial Literacy Coalition
(NCFLC) to provide opportunities for financial education and awareness, and set
up an office at 1522 Main Street, in the Family and Children’s Services’
Niagara Family Center.
On Tuesday, October 29th at 10:00 am, CCCS
will cut the ribbon for their new office, and invites the community to join
their economic empowerment initiative.
CCCS began implementing this project in September 2013, with
offices in Niagara Falls staffed as of October 15th. A Lockport
Office will be opened in Winter 2014. To date, CCCS has received $70,500 in
funding toward this initiative (along with a pledge of an unspecified amount of
funding from the United Way of Greater Niagara), ensuring successful
implementation. In the past year, the East Hill Foundation awarded $23,000, the
John R. Oishei Foundation awarded $45,000 and First Niagara provided $2,500.
“We are proud to launch this much needed service in Niagara
County,” said Paul C. Atkinson, CEO and President of CCCS. “Our goal is to
provide the community with financial education that will help them attain
security and success.”
The NCFLC approach identifies financial coaching for
low-income populations as a core feature because its effectiveness helps
families achieve their long term financial goals. CCCS has modeled this project
on the Center for Working Families approach. The One Stop Shop concept
already in place at Family & Children’s Services’ Niagara Family Center
made this location a perfect fit.
Our project is the first time that a model similar to the
CASH Coalition in Buffalo is being used to benefit Niagara County
residents. It addresses the community need for economic empowerment and
serves a community that CCCS has served for over 45 years—low-income
individuals and families. We plan to serve 750-1,000 residents annually.
The Niagara Falls community is strongly embracing this new
project.
“We are extremely excited to be a part of the launching of
this program for Niagara County residents. Financial Literacy is a huge area of
concern and funding a program to address this need is critical to the future
stability of our community.” Said Carol G. Houwaart-Diez, President,
United Way of Greater Niagara
The Consumer Credit Counseling Service office is located in
the Niagara Family Center—a one stop of human service providers.
“We are happy to have Consumer Credit Counseling as a
partner in the Niagara Family Center to provide services to individuals and
families with financial needs and to complement the other services available in
our building “ said Ken Sass, President and CEO of Family & Children’s
Service of Niagara.
As is well documented, there is great need for economic
empowerment in Niagara County. Low income levels and poverty are pervasive. The
poverty rates in Niagara Falls from 2005-2007 indicated that an overall 22% of
residents were living in poverty. Within this figure, 33% of related children
under age 18 were below poverty level and 34% of female led households had
incomes below poverty level. According to the Niagara Falls Reporter, “those
who actually deal with the problems in the City of Niagara Falls will tell you
that the biggest problem in this city is the crushing poverty under which many
of our neighbors subsist, a poverty so widespread that generations of the same families
are tied to welfare, public housing, drugs, street crime and other social
ills.” In Niagara County’s other major city, Lockport, nearly 12,800 documented
people are doing poorly or struggling financially. This is almost 1 out
of every 3 in Lockport.
“First Niagara is committed to collaborating with our
community partners to make a difference in Western New York,” said Buford
Sears, First Niagara Buffalo Market Executive. “Our contribution to
Consumer Credit Counseling Service will help provide the resources and
opportunities for all citizens to achieve financial independence and success.”
Here is the array of services that CCCS and the NCFLC now
offer:
1.
Financial Coaching (One on One): Participants will meet with certified
financial counselors for sessions on a quarterly basis.
2.
Financial Literacy: Classes-Dollars & Sense; Credit Counts and Money in Motion
3.
Access to Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
Collaboration and synergistic partnerships play a key a role
in the project. CCCS is counting on community engagement with partners in
building the Coalition, and has received an overwhelmingly positive response
from many local agencies. CCCS will use partners’ offices to deliver financial
education and counseling services as needed--or requested. Participants in our
financial counseling program will be provided with referrals to other agencies
with whom we collaborate.
To date, CCCS has forged partnerships with the following
Niagara County providers:
•
United Way of Greater Niagara
•
Family & Children’s Service of Niagara
•
The American Red Cross
•
Literacy Volunteers
•
NiaCap (Niagara Community Action Program)
•
Child & Family Services Ways to Work Program
•
YWCA of Niagara
•
Niagara Falls Housing Authority
•
City of Niagara Falls Department of Community
Development
•
Worksource One
•
Niagara University
•
Soul for Heart, Love and Soul
•
Highland Community Revitalization Services
For more information on the Coalition and CCCS —or to get
involved—contact Tara Vogel at 716-712-2062 or tara.vogel@cccsbuffalo.org
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