An article from the UK's The Daily Mail caught my attention recently. They reported on a research study, called The Redefinition of Life's Luxuries, which asked 1,000 parents about priorities and luxuries. 95% of respondents said that quality time spent with family trumps possessions, money and career as the key to happiness. Similarly, Dr. Clay Routledge reports in Psychology Today that creating happy memories of gatherings with family and friends creates a reservoir of nostalgia that reduces stress and improves our psychological well being. All that is to say, as we face the stressors of the winter holidays, we would all do well to skip the mall and go for a walk in the park with family and friends. Instead of getting frantic about our gift list, organize a potluck dinner. It will help our peace of mind and give our wallet a much needed rest. Together, we can reclaim the season as a time for reflection, sharing and giving thanks.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Innovative Changes!
All the best,
Nancy Yuill |
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Katie's Notes From the Field: Lessons from our Clients
On a Tuesday evening in early October, six Innovative Changes' coaching clients gathered for a dinner discussion. In the coming months, IC$ plans to grow its coaching program by engaging our clients and other volunteers as coaches, so we wanted to check with the experts themselves- people who have been coached- to get feedback on how to proceed.
We asked a variety of questions about the attendants' experiences with financial coaching and received incredibly useful feedback. Participants told us how one-on-one coaching has helped them with goal setting and positive financial changes in their lives. Some of accomplishes mentioned include improved credit scores, establishing emergency savings, and even the confidence to open mail and answer the phone. Keep reading Katie's Notes here.
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Referring Partner Orientations
Interested in referring clients for our loans, financial education and individual coaching sessions? Want to learn more about our programs? Attend our Referring Partner Orientation webinar. The webinar orientation will take place on Thursday, January 16th from 10:30 am -11:30am. If you or your coworkers are interested in participating please register here.
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About Us
We help low-income individuals and families, and those who otherwise lack adequate access to capital and/or financial services, manage short-term financial needs in order to achieve and maintain household stability.
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Quick Stats:
As of 11/15/13
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PARTNERS:
| 48
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LOANS:
Total disbursed:
# Repaid:
| 567, averaging $455.96 $258,813.90
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FINANCIAL ED. CLIENTS
| 1382 | |
IDA SAVERS
| 68 |
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Every Loan Paid is a New Loan Funded
 It's easy to forget the circular nature of borrowing money. In today's society, images of lending often have negative connotations like predatory loans, subprime home mortgages, and that nasty credit card balance that we seem to never be able to pay off. However, the root of our lending program is economic stewardship. It is not about the individual getting funded, nor is it about us getting paid; it is about that third component that has been hidden from our mainstream financial system, community. Every opportunity loan that is paid back gives our borrowers the opportunity to fund other families that come through our door. Keep reading here.
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Partner Spotlight: Clackamas Women's Services, Nichelle Moore
 Clackamas Women's Services (CWS) is one of our newest partners. We are pleased to be able to connect more people in Clackamas County and collaborate with great organization like CWS. Keep reading for the scoop on CWS, Nichelle Moore and her work with their financial empowerment programs. What's your role at CWS? I am the Financial Empowerment Advocate. I provide support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in developing financial safety and security. I work individually or in groups with participants who are recovering from financial abuse, working on increasing income, or developing their money management skills. I provide support, safety planning, education, referrals, and advocacy with other services or institutions.Keep reading here for more about Nichelle and CWS. |
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Upcoming Financial Education
Our next Financial Household Resiliency workshops will go for 4 Tuesdays in a row starting:
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