An innovative, high-impact collaboration of multiple services housed under one roof A bold new vision for helping families build lasting economic security through financial & other educational services provided at CONNECT A supportive place & training ground to help families adapt and conquer the challenges of learning how to effectively manage their finances and future growth What is CONNECT? A one stop shop for families to gain the knowledge they need to increase their earning & savings potential exponentially Financial literacy, job search, housing counseling, job training and education.

The Mission of CONNECT Financial Education & Services Employment Skill Development Income & Housing Stabilization One-on-One Coaching & Peer Networks To integrate resources to address the community’s needs in one central and supportive location while nurturing social networks to provide the “glue” for each individual’s journey toward economic security

Language Barrier: 40% speak little or no English, limiting employment opportunities. Limited Education: 36% of adults lack a high school diploma. 70% lack post secondary education. Our Families Face Complex Challenges Unemployment: 22% Unemployment Rate against a state Unemployment rate of 6.4% Banking: 50% of households have no bank accounts which force families who can least afford it to use check cashing services costing them 20% or more of their weekly net income. Families who don’t understand the U.S. banking systems need education. Based on actual CONNECT statistics Poverty: 50% of our households are low-income. 1 in 3 households make less than $25,000 a year

Our Families Face Complex Challenges These key issues are addressed & resolved under one roof at CONNECT by and with our multiple service partners Social Capital: lack of personal & professional networks make it hard to meet life challenges & find work Taxes: families with limited funds/resources cannot afford to utilize tax prep services. Our services have resulted in an average tax refund to families representing more than 10% gain to their net income. Savings: 50% of our clients have no savings and no financial cushion for emergencies Fragmented Services: families with limited transportation options have been forced to travel to multiple locations across the region to access resources.

MULTIPLE PARTNERS; ONE LOCATION

Local community college offers academic advising and college prep coursework State’s one-stop career center offers employment and employer service including job search and job placement assistance, and employee recruitment Local social service organization offers adult education and training including GED, English Language classes and computer training Regional housing organization offers rental assistance, housing counseling, and access to HUD’s Family Self Sufficiency programs Financial institution offers customized checking, savings and credit building products. Coordinates with other financial institutions for financial education. Assists families to open accounts on site. Community development corporation offers financial literacy, public benefits screening, tax preparation assistance and other asset building programming

How do we do our work

Insert DOL Org Chart

INSERT CONNECT THEORY OF CHANGE

INSERT CONNECT CLIENT FLOW