Cottages of Hope Inc

Workforce Development: (The Prosperity Center): Our resource center offers freecomputer and internet access, technical assistance, phone(fax), and information about other valuable community resources. The Center utilizes volunteers and work based learning participants from the Federal Work Study Program, Family Employment Program(FEP, Job Corps, and Easter Seals). A majority of our efforts in the center are still focused primarily on helping individuals find stable employment.Free Tax Preparation: Cottages of Hope continues to offer the Volunteer Income TaxAssistance (VITA) program where we prepared returns in 2015. Our purpose or goal inoffering this services is to help the client obtain all of the credits they qualifyfor and to encourage them to use their tax refunds to become more financially stable. Suggestions include setting up an emergency fund, paying down debt, paying for additional schooling, or making needed car and home repairs. While having their taxes done, clients are invited to complete our "Get Connected" card that helps us maintain our relationship with them throughout the year. This enables us to contact them concerning programs and services (ours and those offered by our community partners) that make sense based on their needs.Financial Literacy: In addition to teaching classes at our location, we taughtnumerous off-site financial presentations for nonprofit, religious, and studentgroups.Other Programs (Services): In addition, Cottages of Hope also provides a number ofservices that lead to greater levels of financial stability. On a case by casebasis, Cottages of Hope provides one on one financial and job coaching and educationsessions intended to help clients learn to create budgets, create plans to reduce debt, to improve credit scores, to improve resumes, and to increase the quality of their interview skills.Cottages of Hope is a SparkPoint Center where hard-working, low-income people canaccess a full range of services to help them get out of poverty and achieve long-term financial stability. The Center brings together the most effective nonprofit and government partners to help clients build assets, grow income, and manage debt. Each client works with a personal coach, who helps create a step-by-step plan toaccomplish financial goals. This long-term approach provides on-going support untilgoals are accomplished.