Credit Counseling Fundraiser To Honor Doylestown Twp.'s Barbara Lyons

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Barbara Lyons, Esq., who spearheaded the Bucks County Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion program in 2009, will be honored during a fundraising night for the Credit Counseling Center (CCC) on Nov. 9 at the Delaware Valley University.

The CCC announced the honor in a press release, which describes Lyons as a longtime supportive partner to the CCC who has helped thousands of families avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes

“We’re thrilled to celebrate Barbara Lyons – she’s such a powerful and positive force in the community,” said Paula Powers-Watts, Executive Director of Credit Counseling Center. “Barbara’s dedication and expertise has been vital to helping thousands of families stay in their
homes through the Bucks County Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program. She was innovative in creating this process to resolve difficult situations through mediation, to give people hope and a path ahead during financial hardship.”

Lyons is the founder of the Bucks County Mediation and Arbitration Center (BCMAC), which provides parties in dispute with alternatives to traditional litigation. As a member of the Senate Advisory Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution, she has helped work to create systems
of alternative dispute resolution throughout the Commonwealth.

Lyons serves the greater community as the Doylestown Township, PA Chairman of the Board of Supervisors - since 2002 and now serving her third elected 6-year term. In 2015 she was awarded the Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors President’s Leadership Award, chosen
from over 6,000 supervisors across Pennsylvania. Following the tragic school shootings in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, she was appointed to serve on the Joint State Government Commission for the General Assembly in Pennsylvania Advisory Committee on Violence Prevention.

Lyons has volunteered her time and talents to numerous organizations and has provided pro bono legal representation to abused women for over three decades. While on the Board of A Woman's Place, an organization which provides shelter for women and children leaving an abusive
situation who have to start again with limited financial resources, Barbara helped to create and fund the Full Circle Thrift Shop located in New Britain; profits from the shop are used for the women served by the organization.

Attendees of the "Raise the Bar For Financial Literacy" night, which begins at 5 p.m. and concludes at 7, will experience an evening of food, drinks, live music and fundraising as CCC reports on its community impact.

CCC’s free financial counseling services empower individuals with the skills they need to make informed, confident decisions about their finances, laying the foundation for a financially literate future.

Tickets for the fundraising evening are $95 and are available for online purchase by visiting https://creditcounselingcenter.org/fundraiser/.

Proceeds will fund CCC's efforts to counsel families and spread awareness on financial wellness in the community. Corporate event sponsorships and program ads are available. Tax deduction letters are available upon request.

In 2023, the CCC opened two offices at the Bucks County Community College in Bristol (Lower Bucks campus) and in Perkasie (Upper Bucks campus), and piloted a new financial stability program, LIFT United, which focuses on reliable transportation and low interest car loans, along with United Way of Bucks County, Penn Community Bank, and the County of Bucks.

CCC provides a series of free financial literacy courses/webinar workshops for LIFT United about building and maintaining great credit, and what’s important to lenders in securing a loan. CCC also offers one-on-one budget counseling.

“The opening of the new offices at BCCC has raised Credit Counseling Center’s visibility in the community,” said Ryan Fuller, chairman of CCC’s Board of Directors. “It makes our services more accessible not only to students and staff at the college, but also to the residents that live nearby.”

For the Bucks County Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, CCC offers the preparation for homeowners/renters for the mediation conference with their lender that’s required for families delinquent with mortgage or rent payments. CCC attends the conference to advocate on the families’ behalf, and since the program’s inception, Lyons has served as a volunteer mediator.

• Provide free counseling sessions to Pennsylvania residents that teach them budgeting, saving and investing.
• Reach underserved communities and empower them with the tools for financial independence.
• Help families avoid foreclosure or eviction and stay in their homes, through housing-related programs.
• Resolve delinquencies for mortgages, utility bills and credit card payments, so loans can be paid back in ways that are manageable.
• Hold workshops and online seminars to teach practical skills and spread awareness.