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8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS AGENCY SPOTLIGHT Financial empowerment center launches in Washtenaw County JOSHUA LEE Groundcover contributor In a significant move to enhance the financial well-being of Washtenaw County's residents, the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development, in partnership with the national Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, has announced the grand opening of the Washtenaw County Financial Empowerment Center. This initiative offers professional, one-on-one financial counseling and coaching as a free public service to local residents. The FEC model integrates financial counseling seamlessly into various social services, including but not limlimited to housing and foreclosure prevention, workforce development, prisoner reentry, benefits access, and domestic violence services. This holistic approach aims to create a comprehensive and sustainable program that uplifts the community towards greater economic stability. County Commissioner Justin Hodge, who represents District 5 and is Chair of the Board of Commissioners, emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating, “A Financial Empowerment Center is a transformative initiative that will help empower Washtenaw County residents with the tools and guidance needed to conquer their financial challenges and envision brighter futures for themselves and their families." The FECs are staffed with rigorously trained counselors who provide oneon-one support to individuals with low to moderate incomes. Their mission is to assist clients in managing finances, reducing debt, increasing savings, and establishing strong credit. By investing in financial counseling as a tool serving a critical public need, Washtenaw County is taking a proactive stance in bolstering the success of various social services, ultimately creating a more economically stable community. To cater to the diverse needs of the community, the Washtenaw County FEC offers both in-person and virtual appointments. Moreover, the Office of Community and Economic Development has joined forces with three community organizations, enabling clients to access services at four convenient locations: • The Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development, 415 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti. • Faith in Action, 7275 Joy Rd., Dexter. • Jewish Family Services, 2245 S. State St., Ann Arbor. • Eastern Michigan University, University Advising and Career Development Center, 878 Cross St., Ypsilanti, 200 McKenny Hall. Clients interested in making an appointment can do so via the Washtenaw County FEC website, washtenaw.org/FEC The Financial Empowerment Center is expected to become a cornerstone of accessible financial services in the Washtenaw community. It will not only complement existing programs offered by community partners but also enhance them. Faith in Action, one of the co-locations, shared their perspective on this development in a press release, emphasizing the significance of financial education in supporting households that struggle with money. “Being able to connect clients with individualized financial counseling and education is a great tool and is a part of creating more success financially for these households.” Partnering with community organizations is a key aspect of the FEC model. This collaboration streamlines access to financial services for vulnerable populations who are already utilizing services from partner organizations. It effectively creates a "one-stop-shop" for community members, removing barriers to access. The Financial Empowerment Center initiative extends its reach to the Eastern Michigan University community. Jessica “Decky” Alexander, Director of co-location Engage@EMU, highlighted the importance of this service for students. “We know that finances is one of the most consistent barriers to accessing and persisting through college, our hope is that the FEC will be a space and place to remove such barriers for years to come.” Similarly, Elina Zilberberg, Chief Operating Officer of co-location Jewish Family Services, emphasized the value of having this resource in their building. FEC counselors will be readily accessible to anyone needing help with personal finances, budgeting, and creating a solid financial plan. This service is expected to benefit both clients and members of the community as they seek wrap-around services from JFSWC. The FEC model has a proven track record of success across the United States. First piloted in New York City under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2008, FECs have collectively worked with almost 150,000 clients. These centers have helped individuals reduce individual debt by over $225 million and increase their families' savings by close to $45 million. An evaluation conducted by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund demonstrated the effectiveness of the program, even for residents with very low incomes and other complex financial challenges. Washtenaw County joins several dozen local governments across the nation in launching or planning to launch their local FEC initiatives. The Washtenaw County FEC is made possible through support from the CFE Fund and American Rescue Plan Funds. SEPTEMBER 22, 2023  ENERGY from page 6 there's the fact that these are the largest players of financial might the world has ever seen. I sometimes like to believe that people with such unimaginable power and resources will possess more lofty ideas for future industries that would ensure continued prosperity for the collective human race. Yet while some do make good use of their position, a great many more just hoard useless crap to show off with, then assign it to obscure storage-bound junk. And this is some valuable stuff — art that's not looked at or appreciated, cars not driven, homes not lived in and so forth. So I sometimes wonder to myself if these people ever give a thought to or experience any concern for their future. I mean there are possible catastrophes of a large enough scale to render everything they have worthless. Just because nothing has happened yet doesn't make the possibility of such an event non-existent. But if I were to bet on anything that would guarantee unity amongst humankind … it would be an epic global tragedy. I'm never entirely sure if I'm truly happy to be alive and experience this particular stretch of time in humanity’s progress. Obviously I live pretty comfortably compared to countless lives spent during more chaotic and unforgiving times. But with myself being a fan of science fiction, I would have loved to know the capabilities we would be permitted to achieve if we continue advancing throughout the coming years. And I mean achievements of mankind alone — without any interventions be them alien or divine. I have to say though, however undecided I feel about that, I do feel pretty damn privileged. I feel this way because I'm a sci-fi geek at heart and I get to witness some pretty important milestones in the environment in the advancement of technology. This is all just one small part as well as a subject I have some interest in. I utilize this to maintain positivity in my life. I believe a crucial part of life for any sentient being capable of emotion is being able to live with oneself. It certainly helps knowing right from wrong and possessing a reasonable and healthy viewpoint — something entirely your own and not what the external World deems necessary. That is why I choose to share these environmental concerns that I'm thankfully not alone in: to highlight perhaps the world's greatest environmental offenders and the gross negligence they demonstrate for the sake of corporate gain. The fact is, we indeed do possess less destructive alternatives yet have an inability to challenge and ultimately supplant such tyrants. And now it seems too great a coincidence that such a threat thrives in the absence of global and social unity. That pitting the common people against each other to ensure we remain divided and consequently powerless is such an effective yet obvious strategy. I feel it important to generate awareness of such a grim topic for several reasons, but I think my favorite would be the David versus Goliath irony. If I, myself being such an impoverished and unimportant element, actually kick-started a movement that would culminate in global superpowers’ ruin ... I would continue to hope such dreams will someday manifest in reality. Regardless of whatever scornful prejudices are aimed at me, I can at least sleep at night.

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