CALHOUN COUNTY GUARDIAN DBA GUARDIAN FIN

GUARDIAN FINANCE AND ADVOCACY SERVICES IS A NON-PROFIT THAT SERVES CLIENTS IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN. OUR PRIMARY COUNTIES OF SERVICE ARE KALAMAZOO AND CALHOUN, ALTHOUGH OUR SERVICES EXTEND TO CLIENTS WITHIN A 75-MILE RADIUS OF OUR TWO OFFICES. IN OUR FISCAL YEAR OF OCTOBER 2023 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2024, WE SERVED 1,339 CLIENTS BETWEEN OUR TWO OFFICES. OUR THREE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROGRAMS ARE GUARDIANSHIP, CONSERVATORSHIP, AND REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE. ALL PROGRAMS SEEK TO SAFEGUARD INDIVIDUALS, ALLOWING THEM TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND MAXIMIZE THEIR INDEPENDENCE.LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP OCCURS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL IS FOUND INCOMPETENT THROUGH A COURT OF LAW. IN MANY INSTANCES, THIS IS THE RESULT OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY, MENTAL ILLNESS, OR AGE-RELATED ILLNESS SUCH AS DEMENTIA. OUR ORGANIZATION SAFEGUARDED 451 INDIVIDUALS DURING THE PAST YEAR BY MAKING MEDICAL, PLACEMENT, AND LEGAL DECISIONS.CONSERVATORSHIP, DESCRIBED AS GUARDIANSHIP OF THE ESTATE, IS AN AUTHORITY FOR COURT GRANTS. OUR ORGANIZATION WORKED WITH 94 INDIVIDUALS IN THIS CAPACITY OVER THE PAST YEAR. GUARDIAN FINANCE AND ADVOCACY SERVICES WAS ABLE TO SAFEGUARD THEIR ASSETS, THUS MEETING THEIR NEEDS.OUR THIRD PROGRAM IS REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE, AN AUTHORITY GRANTED BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL CANNOT MANAGE THEIR INCOME TO MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS, SOCIAL SECURITY WILL APPOINT A REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE TO ASSIST IN BUDGETING. IN THIS ROLE, OUR AGENCY WORKS WITH THE CONSUMER TO CREATE A BUDGET AND THEN PAYS THE INDIVIDUAL'S MONTHLY PRIORITY NEEDS (I.E., RENT AND UTILITIES).