The United Way of Marion County is offering the chance for Marion County families in need to gain financial stability through a new initiative.
The Strong Families initiative is the nonprofit organization’s attempt at establishing services for families that need help getting their finances and housing in line. The program works directly with families and individuals to establish goals, find career opportunities, and break down barriers to poverty.
The program is for families and children in Marion County and will provide instruction on budgeting, understanding and managing credit, and reducing household debt.
Each family will meet with a success coach every other week for a year who will assist the families with setting short and long-term goals and tracking their progress.
Participants need to have stable housing (i.e., long-term shelter or transitional housing is acceptable). Participants are also required to have substance abuse and mental health issues under control, and must be motivated to make positive, long-term changes to their lifestyle, according to the program criteria.
According to the organization’s records, 100% of the families that participated in last year’s program moved from temporary to permanent households, and 84% were able to reduce their household debt.
For more information on this program and others like it, visit the United Way of Marion County website.