Blog: Financial Empowerment Centers Offer FREE Help
By Jim Donovan: It's been two years since the City of Philadelphia and Clarifi cut the ribbon on Financial Empowerment Centers designed to help local residents achieve financial stability. Two years later and now with 12 sites around the city, the FREE centers seem to have yielded some impressive results.
Since their opening, the Centers have helped 7,000 local residents pay down over $5 million in debt and save $600,000.
The Centers are part of Philadelphia's Shared Prosperity Plan, an initiative of The Mayor's Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity that is tackling the issue of poverty in the city. The centers were opened with a $3.3 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
How the Financial Empowerment Centers can help you:
During an appointment at the Centers, you meet one-on-one with a certified counselor who helps look at the big picture of your money and identify areas you may want to improve. Your counselor can also help you set goals and review action steps you can take to improve your financial situation. Many clients have goals that include:
- Improving or establishing credit
- Reducing debt or dealing with debt collectors
- Saving money and establishing an emergency fund
- Better managing student loan payments
Offices are located in Center City, West Philly, North Philly and Germantown.
To find a Financial Empowerment Center near you or to schedule a free appointment, call 855-FIN-PHIL (346-7445) or visit fecphilly.org.
