{"id":22754,"date":"2025-07-09T10:00:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T14:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?p=22754"},"modified":"2025-07-08T16:15:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T20:15:58","slug":"orange-county-financial-empowerment-center-six-months-of-community-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/2025\/07\/orange-county-financial-empowerment-center-six-months-of-community-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County Financial Empowerment Center: Six Months of Community Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Orange County\u2019s Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) initiative, which has helped hundreds of people take control of their finances, is expanding its reach, now with five locations operating across the County and a new virtual meeting option designed to make financial counseling more accessible than ever.<\/p>\n<p>The program, which offers free, one-on-one financial counseling to all who live or work in Orange County, has already made a meaningful impact. In its first six months, 290 clients have been served, collectively increasing their savings by more than $93,000 and reducing total non-mortgage debt by nearly $200,000. With plans to expand further, Orange County, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando and Osceola County, aims to build on that momentum and reach even more community members in need of financial guidance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith locations across Orange County in tandem with virtual appointments, we\u2019re meeting people where they are,\u201d said Beyra Pavon-Molina, Program Manager of the FEC. \u201cWhether someone lives in East or West Orange County, works downtown or prefers to connect from home, it\u2019s now easier than ever to take that first step toward financial stability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The five Financial Empowerment Centers currently open across Orange County include:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>John Bridges Community Center<\/strong> \u2013 Apopka<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hal P.\u202fMarston Community Center<\/strong> \u2013 Orlando<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pine Hills Community Center<\/strong> \u2013 Orlando<\/li>\n<li><strong>East Orange Community Center<\/strong> \u2013 Orlando<\/li>\n<li><strong>Oak Ridge<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Neighborhood Center for Families<\/strong> \u2013 Orlando<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The virtual option has proven to be a game-changer for many clients. It allows them to schedule sessions around their workday, family obligations or transportation challenges \u2014 providing the flexibility and convenience many need to make financial counseling part of their routine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur goal is to remove barriers,\u201d said Pavon-Molina.. \u201cSome people simply don\u2019t have time to commute to an office, so we bring that office to them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Each session is led by a professional financial counselor trained to provide personalized guidance \u2014 whether a client is working to reduce debt, build savings, create a household budget or improve their credit score. The sessions are completely free, confidential and non-judgmental.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want people to know this is a safe space,\u201d said Pavon-Molina.\u201cWe\u2019re here to empower individuals to set realistic goals and take control of their financial future, but there\u2019s still work to do. We want everyone who could benefit from our services to know we\u2019re here \u2014 and ready to help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With its expanding footprint and digital accessibility, the Financial Empowerment Center is positioned to reach more residents than ever before, helping build a stronger, more financially resilient community.<\/p>\n<p>Ready to take control of your finances? Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/habitatorlando.org\/fec\/\">Orange County Financial Empowerment Center<\/a> or call 407-648-4567 (option 3) to get started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Orange County\u2019s Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) initiative, which has helped hundreds of people take control of their finances, is expanding its reach, now with five locations operating across the County and a new virtual meeting option designed to make financial counseling more accessible than ever. The program, which offers free, one-on-one financial counseling to all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":22757,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Orange County Financial Empowerment Center: Six Months of Community Impact<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Orange County\u2019s Financial Empowerment Center initiative, which has helped hundreds of people take control of their finances, is expanding its reach, now with five locations operating across the County and a new virtual meeting option designed to make financial 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