Progress in NHCO’s Pathways Program Pays Off

In September 2021, Marie came to NHCO looking for help paying various overdue bills. Now, after a year and a half of engaging in NHCO’s Pathways program, Marie feels much more in control of her finances and has managed to pay off three of her credit cards.

Before the pandemic, Marie owned an Etsy shop featuring her artwork. The income from her shop, along with her son’s Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), was keeping her family of four afloat until Marie shut down her shop when her kids transitioned into full-time cyber school.

As a single mom to three children with disabilities, who were all at high risk for COVID, Marie lacked the resources to be able to work for additional income. Her son’s SSDI payments did not cover the family’s monthly expenses, causing Marie to fall behind on her bills quickly. Marie put many expenses on her credit cards to try to keep up with the unpaid bills that were rapidly piling up.

When Marie started working with me, she was overwhelmed by her finances, so we focused on increasing her financial stability. Together we explored ways for Marie to supplement her income, such as applying for SSDI for her oldest daughter and ways to save money. To begin, we started incorporating budgeting into the meetings so we could track exactly where Marie’s money was being spent every month. For example, Marie’s biggest expense was her mortgage, about 80% of her total budget.

In July, I helped Marie apply for the PA Homeowners Assistance Fund (PAHAF), which assists homeowners who experienced financial hardship due to the COVID pandemic in paying past due mortgage and housing-related expenses. In addition, it will pay forward mortgage payments. While the program is only temporary, it relieved Marie from her financial strain and allowed her to reallocate her limited budget to meet her family’s needs. For the first time in years, Marie had money that she was able to put towards paying down her debt and savings for when the PAHAF program ends. Since the beginning of the year, Marie has not only paid her regular monthly expenses early, but she has also paid off three credit cards she took out during the pandemic.

“I never did budgeting before because I didn’t want to constantly see myself in the negative,” Marie shared. “I would never have done it if I didn’t do it with you,” she says.

As her Service Coordinator, it’s exciting to see how much progress Marie has made over the last year. It’s like Marie is different from when we started working together. She’s confident and capable of handling any crisis that comes her way and can better recognize her talents. Without the stress of her financial situation looming over her head, Marie’s confidence has grown, and she can start working towards other goals during her Pathways meetings.

Moving forward, Marie would love to reopen her shop: this time as a full-fledged business rather than a side hustle. To ease herself back into selling, Marie has signed up for craft fairs around Allegheny County to gauge interest in her art. Marie is also considering returning to school to get a bachelor’s degree in graphic design to improve her skill set further. I will help Marie apply for NHCO’s Education Assistance Program if she returns to school.

By Mikhaila Fogel, NHCO Service Coordinator