{"id":22480,"date":"2025-05-05T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T14:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?p=22480"},"modified":"2025-05-07T16:12:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T20:12:38","slug":"financial-empowerment-centers-helping-residents-gain-control-of-their-finances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/2025\/05\/financial-empowerment-centers-helping-residents-gain-control-of-their-finances\/","title":{"rendered":"Financial Empowerment Centers Helping Residents Gain Control of Their Finances"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Khenitha Reeves moved from Tallahassee to Orange County in 2020 with her two young daughters, she was determined to build a better life. But like many others, she experienced unexpected challenges \u2014 especially financial ones \u2014 precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a single mother, Reeves wanted to be a strong role model and take control of her finances.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know how to stretch a dollar,\u201d said Reeves, \u201cbut I didn\u2019t know how to save one.\u201d<\/p>\n

That changed when she saw a post about Orange County\u2019s Financial Empowerment Center during her lunch break. Within minutes, she had scheduled an appointment that would begin a journey of financial transformation.<\/p>\n

Orange County is the first local government in Florida to launch a Financial Empowerment Center. The program offers free, one-on-one financial counseling to county residents and employees in both English and Spanish. The initiative is a partnership between Orange County Government<\/a>, Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando and Osceola County, and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund<\/a>. Piloted in New York City in 2008, the Centers have helped clients across the nation reduce over $276 million in personal debt and increase household savings by nearly $54 million.<\/p>\n

Reeve\u2019s experience highlights the power of this resource. Her financial counselor helped her simplify money management, build on successful habits and set systems that supported her goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t about lofty ambitions,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was about setting attainable goals and achieving them one by one. That built my confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

FEC counseling sessions \u2014 held both virtually and in-person at community centers including John Bridges, East Orange, Hal P. Marston and Pine Hills \u2014 cover budgeting, saving, debt reduction and credit improvement. With expansion plans for 2025, access to this service will only grow.<\/p>\n

Motivated by her pillars of \u201cfaith, finance and fitness,\u201d Reeves has become a passionate advocate. \u201cI tell everyone \u2014 my friends, family, church community \u2014 this is a free service with legitimate experts. It\u2019s wise to take advantage of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings emphasized the broader impact: \u201cThrough the Financial Empowerment Center, Orange County can provide local residents with the essential tools for economic independence and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n

For residents like Reeves, that dream is now within reach \u2014 one financial success at a time.<\/p>\n

Schedule your free financial counseling appointment with the FEC by visiting Orange County Financial Empowerment Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Khenitha Reeves moved from Tallahassee to Orange County in 2020 with her two young daughters, she was determined to build a better life. But like many others, she experienced unexpected challenges \u2014 especially financial ones \u2014 precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a single mother, Reeves wanted to be a strong role model and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":22578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFinancial Empowerment Centers Helping Residents Gain Control of Their Finances<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Orange County is the first local government in Florida to launch a Financial Empowerment Center. 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