September 2015
 
 

One of our recent clients had this reaction to her first meeting with us, "It was an eye opener! Having me sit down and see things in writing allowed me to see where I could really make a difference in my budget". We get to see this kind of personal enlightenment every day. We provide a safe, trustworthy place for people to take the time to think about what they are spending their money on, line up their values with their spending, and plug unnecessary "spending leaks". This simple process can have profound impact on people as they transform those leaks into savings and build strong credit profiles. Imbedded in all of this work is the adaptation of a person's relationship to money from one of avoidance or lack of options to one of control and choices. People are highly motivated by the ability to choose their own path, to direct their own lives, to learn, grow and do better; and that is when real behavior change can occur. Here's to really making a difference!  

All the best,

Nancy Yuill

We have moved!


Here's a friendly reminder that we have moved into a beautiful new office space across the atrium! A huge thank you for the help we got from CASH Oregon and our amazing volunteers! Our new address is 2027 Lloyd Center. We look forward to giving you a tour!

 
Meet our AmeriCorps VISTA: Katie!
 
What drew you to this Financial Opportunity Corps position at Innovative Changes?  
Innovative Changes is the type of organization that I went into college wanting to work for. After a diverse education and series of jobs and internships, I did a full circle and jumped on the opportunity to do what I thought I wanted years ago.
 
What were you doing before joining IC$? 
I graduated from Oregon State University (Go Beavs) this past spring with a B.A. in Economics. Then I took some time to travel and backpacked in Ecuador for a few weeks with my cousin.

Read more about Katie here!
Client Spotlight: Makeda!
 
By Andrea Kerwin

When Makeda first began the financial coaching program, she knew she had debt but she was hesitant to sit down and look at it. A female entrepreneur in the process of starting her own business, Makeda wanted to get organized. Makeda's coach Erin, a personal finance buff who has had her own struggles with making ends meet, was the perfect person to help.
 
"When we started actually crunching the numbers it was very clear to me that this was an opportunity that was invaluable." Makeda said. "There is this really big feeling of relief that comes from actually telling someone, 'I owe this much money with student loans and credit card debt.' To actually say that out loud and not feel judged at all and not have to justify it."
 
Read more about Makeda here! 
Volunteer Opportunity with CASH Oregon
Volunteers Help Those in Need Receive the Tax Refunds They Deserve
 
This year volunteers helped over 3.2 million taxpayers get $3.89 billion in tax refunds. The economic impact of free volunteer tax assistance benefits residents of every state in the country, helping them achieve their financial goals and boosting local economic activity.
 
Americans receive an economic boost from tax credits generated by volunteer tax assistance, including $1.1 billion in Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), $900 million in Child and Additional Child Tax Credits, and $82 million in Education Credits.
 
Upcoming Workshops & Orientations
 
The next Financial Household Resiliency workshops will be:

   

- Tuesday evenings, 5:30-7:30pm

 

Sept. 15th: Budgeting and Saving

Sept. 22nd: Hands on Banking

Sept. 29th: Building, Repairing, and Protecting Credit

Oct. 6th: Making Ends Meet

Oct. 13th: Budgeting and Saving 

 

This workshop series will be held at our office in 2027 Lloyd Center Mall. You can register for the classes here.
Our next Credit Builder Orientations will be:

 

- Friday Sept. 18th, 1-2pm 

- Friday Sept. 25th, 2-3pm 

- EN ESPANOL miercoles, 30 de septiembre, 5:30-6:30pm

- Friday Oct. 9th, 1-2 pm

- Thursday Oct. 15th, 5:30-6:30pm 

 

 All take place at our office, 2027 Lloyd Center.  Register here.

 
Quick Stats:
As of 9/11/2015
Partners:
 53
Loans: 
Total disbursed:
819
$371,074  
Financial Education Clients: 3,351
IDA Savers: 110
IDA Graduates:
 14
IDA Wait List:
--
IDA Interest: 
205 
 
About Us
 
Our inter-related programs of responsible lending, credit building, financial education and savings acceleration build people's financial capabilities and put them on the path to long term financial health.  Join us in our work!

You Can Help!

You care about helping people achieve and maintain household stability. Now you can join our efforts at Innovative Changes as we expand our reach to serve more clients. Your generous donation will be put to good use!

 

Whatever amount you can afford, you can set it up for monthly automatic payments to ease your cash flow. If you have bill pay service with your bank you can set up Innovative Changes to receive regular monthly payments. If you prefer, we can process a monthly ACH transaction on your behalf. Contact us at contact@innovativechanges.org to set up your monthly giving program.

 

Thank you for your support!
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