Common Cents

Keosha, an Assistant Manager at the Internal Revenue Service, and single mother of three children, first found out about Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center (GMFEC) from a community partner. GMFEC is a program of RISE Memphis and the Shelby County Trustee’s Office, which provides free one-on-one financial counseling to Shelby County residents, regardless of income.  Before entering the program, Keosha wanted to become a homeowner, but had not thought much about her spending and saving habits. Now that she is working with a financial counselor, she has focused more on budgeting and saving. Keosha says, “My financial counselor has been great! She has motivated me to stay focused and continue to work on my plan to pay down debt. First, I started paying off the smaller debts, then worked my way up to paying off larger debts. In addition, my financial counselor has connected me to other resources and services in the community, which has been extremely helpful.”  Keosha’s dream of becoming a homeowner finally came true in July 2023. Her family now has a place that they can call home, where the children can play, grow, and build memories in a safe environment. Although Keosha has realized her dream of homeownership, she plans to continue to use the financial tools that she has learned as a client of GMFEC to stay financially fit.