2014 IN REVIEW -- THANKS FOR ANOTHER BANNER YEAR

This past year was an extremely productive one for CCCS of Maryland and Delaware. In celebration, we’ve captured some of the highpoints. Looking back, we want to thank you for your interest and involvement as our clients, community advocates, and partners. Many of these things wouldn’t have happened without YOUR help!

New Programs

In 2014 we launched a financial coaching effort to help CCCS clients make their personal finance dreams a reality through setting and achieving money management goals.

We also implemented a comprehensive, HUD-approved online pre-purchase homebuyer’s education course. Now CCCS clients who are in the market for a new home can become informed anytime, anywhere.

Local Partnerships and Educational Efforts

We are going into Year IV of participating in MD CASH Campaign’s Financial Stability Pathway Project, an initiative that provides technology tools, resources, and training, so that community members can link with the exact financial stability services they need.

Our Emergency Savings Initiative which helps clients actively accumulate a nest egg expanded into Anne Arundel and Carroll Counties in 2014. Many thanks to PNC Bank for partnering with us on this effort!

CCCS provided on-site financial counseling to clients at Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake and presented monthly pre-purchase homebuyer education workshops for Howard County Housing. These efforts helped local residents take a big step toward successful homeownership.

CCCS helped military service members, veterans, and their families become more financially aware and secure by delivering financial education workshops and financial counseling through Hands On Banking.

Through its partnerships with Maryland and Delaware Councils on Economic Education, CCCS supplied financial literacy training and curriculum materials to more than 1,300 teachers, who in turn reached more than 500,000 students.

Online Endeavors

Through a partnership with National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), CCCS financial counselors now field consumer finance questions as part of NerdWallet’s online Q&A forum.

Throughout the year, our very own Eddie Lee provided personal financial insights through Red Head Ed’s Fortune Friday, a weekly post on CCCS’s Facebook page. If you haven’t caught his recent adventures, there’s still time -- and while you’re there, please help us get to 300 “Likes.”

Media Mentions

During 2014, CCCS was extremely fortunate to regularly take part in iHeartMedia’s Sunday MD Today public affairs program. Through this opportunity, CCCS staff members Nina Heck, Pam Wilson, and Carmen Jones-Burke provided Marylanders with insight on a variety of financial and housing issues.

CCCS personal finance and housing articles also regularly appeared on PATCH news sites throughout Maryland.

Bonus! Here’s an infographic that statistically recaps some of CCCS’s most meaningful 2014 efforts.

What’s New in 2015?

CCCS CEO and President Jim Godfrey is now a member of an NFCC National Task Force that’s studying ways to solve some of the problems involved with student debt. We may ask you to take part in this effort by sharing information on your own student loan experience.

As a result of the financial coaching program, CCCS is partnering with NeighborWorks on an initiative that includes Success Measures, an online tool that will allow us to evaluate and improve our coaching efforts.

Our success would not be possible without the generosity, effort, and involvement of our faithful funders, partners, and clients. We look forward to working with you all again in 2015, and hope you have a joyful and bright New Year!