Teri : On the Road to Financial Independence

Teri stands next to her new car.

The next time Teri goes camping, she’s not going to have to stay close enough to home to make two trips.  Everything she needs fits in her new car.  However, it’s her new financial freedom that’s taking her further than she’s been before.

It wasn’t that long ago that Teri was homeless and staying the night in shelters.  Hoping to get noticed by someone who might be willing to house her, she attended a tenant education class presented by Second Step Housing.  The guest speaker that day was Community Housing Resource Center’s Kevin Gillette. 

“I made a note to myself that someday I would sit down with Kevin when I was in a position where I could actually have a reasonable conversation about trying to get out from under all of my debt,” she remembers.

Eventually, Teri worked herself into a position to address her finances, and she came to the Center.  She took our financial education class, CreditSmart, not once but twice.  She also signed up for one-on-one counseling with Kevin to learn to address her debt.  “[Kevin] created an opportunity where I could watch and listen to him acting on my behalf.  And so it wasn’t difficult then for me to take that next step and try one on my own.”

Little by little, Teri started taking control of her finances.  With each call her confidence and her credit score rose a little higher.  Over time she was able to leave behind what she calls “a poverty mentality” and embrace an empowering new attitude.  

With her new approach have come new results.  “I don’t have any old stuff hanging over me anymore.  I don’t make late payments.  I have a credit score now that’s worthy of protecting,” she beams, “I’ve never been that person before.”  Her new car is just the beginning.