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Greetings!
My first hello message will be more of a goodbye. A very fond farewell, really to Nancy Yuill!
I have had the immense pleasure of stepping into the Innovative Changes Executive Director role a few weeks ago. I was granted the gift of time to have a thoughtful, detailed, memorable and incredibly gracious hand off that Nancy artfully crafted and executed which allowed her to share her great wisdom and expertise.
From the moment I stepped into my first interview with the dedicated and passionate Search Committee of the IC Board - that "gets it" (more about what "it" is in my introductory letter next month); I knew this organization was special. After weeks of getting to know an incredibly professional, knowledgeable and caring staff, and having precious Nancy time - we have joked we have been joined at the hip in our shared little office at Lloyd Center mall - I now know what I speculated in those early days is true: Innovative Changes is so much more than an organization. It's a powerful strength based community where women and communities of color can build their financial capabilities through training, education, and lending opportunities. Underneath the innovation, insight and inspiration, a solid foundation with Nancy at the helm over the last five years.
You will be missed, Nancy, but since you seem to take the phrase, "go change the world", literally, we wish you well on your next journey to make positive contributions in Africa. Your friends in Ethiopia have no idea what magical force is about to grace them with your presence and wisdom. We look forward to hearing about your next adventures and will miss you. Most of all, thank you.
A fond adieu, Nancy Yuill!
Traci Rossi
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Welcome Traci!
Innovative Changes has gotten the chance to get to know Traci these past couple of weeks as she steps into her role as the new Executive Director. We asked her a few questions to get to know her.
What drew you to this Executive Director position at Innovative Changes?
There were so many things: definitely the mission of the organization. I believe that financial empowerment is one key path to independence and personal fulfillment. I have always enjoyed working with underserved communities so the opportunity to partner with women and communities of color around financial capabilities was too exciting to pass up. I was ready to take this next step in my professional and personal journey!
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Client Spotlight: Dulce!
Dulce first heard about the Credit Builder Loan at an IDA Orientation. Dulce signed up because she didn't have any credit history, but knew the importance of establishing credit for future opportunities, such as purchasing a house. Dulce went from having no score, to a FICO score of 680 in one year of doing the Credit Builder Loan. During this year, she worked with our Loan Coordinator, Rachel, to apply for a secured credit card and learn how to use it in a way that would build her credit. Just 2 months after her Credit Builder Loan ended, Dulce has a credit score in the 700s and is working with a homeownership counselor at Hacienda CDC to achieve her goal of being a homeowner.
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Living at Home: A New Normal for Millenials
By America Saves
For the first time, more 18- to 34-year-olds are living with their parents than any other living situation, according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center. This got us thinking about the important shift in both priorities and the economic situation of many millennials.
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Need help with student loan debt?
Are you working with a client that needs help with understanding their student loan debt? Innovative Changes staff member Stephanie Sampedro is a Certified Student Loan Counselor through the Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA) and is available to help empower and educate student borrowers about their debt. Common topics include: income driven repayment plans, default and delinquency, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, borrower defense to repayment & more! If you or a client are struggling with student loan debt, contact Stephanie to make an appointment at stephanie@innovativechanges.org or call us at 503-249-5205 ext. 1402. And stay tuned for news about a new monthly seminar on student loan repayment this fall!
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 Your Money, Your Goals training September 9th
We will be hosting a Your Money, Your Goals training for frontline staff on September 9th from 9 am-5 pm. This training is open to the public and costs $90 to attend. To sign up and/or learn more check out our event page here.
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Upcoming Workshops & Orientations
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The next Financial Household Resiliency workshops will be:
-Tuesday evenings, 5:30-7:30 pm and Fridays 10:00-12:00 pm
July 19th: Hands on Banking
July 26th: Building, Repairing and Protecting Credit
August 2nd: Making Ends Meet
August 9th: Budgeting and Savings
This workshop series will be held at our NEW office in 2027 Lloyd Center Mall. You can register for the classes here.
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Our next Credit Builder Orientations will be:
All take place at our office, 2027 Lloyd Center. Register here.
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As of 7/12/2016
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Partners:
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53
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Loans:
Total disbursed:
| 964
$433,012 | | Financial Education Clients: | 3,785 | | IDA Savers: | 107 | |
IDA Graduates:
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29
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IDA Interest:
| 231 |
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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!
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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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STAY CONNECTED  
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