Orange County Launches Financial Empowerment Center

Orange County becomes the first local government in Florida to launch a Financial Empowerment Center, which offers free certified financial counseling as a public service to all who live and work in the County

Orange County, FL – On Jan. 8, Mayor Jerry L. Demings will formally launch the Orange County Financial Empowerment Center, during an invitation-only event. The event will begin at 10 a.m. in the John Bridges Community Action Center, 445 W. 13th St., Apopka.

Program speakers will include Mayor Demings as well as Catherine Steck McManus, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County – the initiative’s nonprofit provider – and Kate Wilson, the senior vice president for philanthropy and community impact at Wells Fargo.

Orange County is the first local government in Florida to launch a Financial Empowerment Center. The centers offer one-on-one certified financial counseling as a free public service to everyone who lives and works in Orange County. The initiative is a partnership between Orange County Government, Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.

“Through the Financial Empowerment Centers, Orange County will provide local residents with the essential tools for economic independence and stability,” said Mayor Demings. “This novel, innovative approach to financial education and management represents a game-changing moment for everyday residents seeking opportunity, prosperity and the American dream.”

Held in-person as well as virtually, sessions with professional financial counselors will focus on budgeting, increasing personal savings, paying down debt, improving credit scores and more. In-person sessions will be held within Orange County’s John Bridges, Hal P. Marston and Pine Hills Community Action Centers, with a planned expansion of services to more centers in 2025.

Piloted in New York City in 2008, FECs across the nation have worked with nearly 173,000 clients. Through the FEC, clients have reduced their personal debts by over $276 million and increased household savings by nearly $54 million.

“We are proud to partner with Orange County Government and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund to establish the Orange County Financial Empowerment Center,” said McManus. “Our professional certified financial counselors are excited to empower Orange County residents and workers to overcome financial challenges, achieve their goals, and create brighter futures for themselves and their families.”

“Local leaders know first-hand the connection between family financial stability and community financial stability,” said Jonathan Mintz, president and CEO of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. “Mayor Demings and Orange County are part of a growing national movement to bring free, high-quality financial counseling as a public service to their residents; we are proud to partner with Mayor Demings and Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County to help residents work towards a stronger financial future.”

In September, Orange County Government announced that it received a $150,000 grant to support the launch of the County’s Financial Empowerment Center. The FEC movement is supported by seed funder Bloomberg Philanthropies, as well as the Wells Fargo Foundation and other generous partners. Additional funding for the implementation of the project is provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Orange County Financial Empowerment Center is also supported by generous funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation.

“We want to help people move from financial instability to financial security, wealth creation, and learn how best to manage their finances,” said Kate Wilson, the senior vice president for community relations at Wells Fargo. “Financial coaching and counseling can be key in that journey to financial stability. We are thrilled to support the services Financial Empowerment Centers will offer in the community.”

Learn more and sign up for appointments at HabitatOrlando.org/FEC

About Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County

Driven by a vision that everyone has a safe and stable place to live, Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County strengthens communities by building and repairing homes, educating and counseling homeowners and the public, and researching solutions to the broader housing crisis. Founded in 1986, Habitat Orlando & Osceola has built, rehabbed or repaired over 900 homes throughout Central Florida. The nonprofit has achieved recognition as one of the 40 “top producers” out of over 1,100 Habitat for Humanity International affiliates working in communities throughout the United States and in more than 70 countries and is a HUD-certified local Housing Counseling Agency. To learn more, visit HabitatOrlando.org.