Meet our new intern Daniel!
What drew you to this position at Innovative Changes? What drew me to Innovative Changes? Well, I had just finished the Job Readiness Training class at New Avenues for Youth and I heard about this...
View ArticleCommunity Member Spotlight: Sarah Loepker
What is your role at Portland Community College and what drew you to this work? I am a Financial Aid Coordinator and Part Time Faculty. I administer several grant programs, advise students and teach a...
View ArticlePortland Playhouse presents: How to End Poverty in 90 Minutes (with 99 people...
In February Innovative Changes is participating in the Portland Playhouse’s work “How to End Poverty in 90 Minutes (with 99 people you may or may not know)” and you can too! Developed by Michael Rohd...
View ArticlePartner and Client Spotlight: Heidi Whitehouse
How did you first hear about and get involved with IC$? I heard about IC$ through my supervisor at Friends of the Children (FOTC), who is our Education Program Manager, when he discovered what an...
View ArticleWelcome Rachell Hall!
We are pleased to welcome Rachell Hall as our Financial Capabilities Program Coordinator! Rachell comes to us with a wealth of experience working in non-profits aimed at combating poverty around...
View ArticlePartner Spotlight: Amy Dang!
This month we bring you an interview with Amy Dang, the Financial Education Specialist at Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives Inc (PCRI). PCRI has been a partner to IC$ since 2010 and their...
View ArticleWhat Financial Capabilities Means to us at Innovative Changes
We love to see a room full of people from different communities bringing their lived experiences together to help each other navigate the financial systems of our society. As folks learn from each...
View ArticleThree Asset Building Bills in the Oregon Legislature
By Stephanie Sampedro Part of financial capability is providing Oregonians with access to asset-building services and products and this legislative cycle, we are trying to pass some innovative new ways...
View ArticleMeet our new Intern Shapiro!
What drew you to this position at Innovative Changes? I come from a low class family, and I have friends whose families are the same. The school system doesn’t teach you everything, and sometimes...
View ArticleCoach Spotlight: Erin!
What brought you to the volunteer coaching program at Innovative Changes? I have always been savings-minded, even as a small child. I would save whatever lunch money I didn’t use and would have a...
View ArticleCommunity Partner Spotlight: Begoña
What do you do in your organization or work? I work for Early Learning Washington County (ELWC), a program co-lead by Washington County Human Services and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, whose...
View ArticleClient Spotlight: Sonia
by Andrea Kerwin “At 35 years old, I began to seek out financial resources to face my fears about finances. As a young single mom I was “behind” so-to-speak about financial maturity. I didn’t know how...
View ArticleClient Spotlight: Nicole
By Alanna Hoyman-Browe For many people, losing their job can throw their family into a real financial emergency. And if it hadn’t been for the Women’s Leadership Peer Group this might have been the...
View ArticleClient Spotlight: Ruth
By Alanna Hoyman-Browe Ruth was very skeptical when a co-worker referred her to Innovative Changes for an Individual Development Account (IDA). As someone who moved here years ago from the Philippines,...
View ArticleMeet our new intern Dejanna Estil!
What drew you to this position at Innovative Changes? What drew me to my internship at Innovative Changes was the email I received from my work experience specialist, Corey. She had sent me an email...
View ArticleSaving on back to school essentials
by Rachell Hall Sending your students back to school can be a real budget-buster if you are not prepared for the increase in expenses. Here are 8 savvy tips to help you keep a little more cash in your...
View ArticleCreate Cheap, Healthy Lunches for your Kids
By Rachel Stein With the start of school, it’s time to consider healthy, inexpensive, and easy-to-pack lunches for your kids again. Sandwiches are the first thing many of us think of for lunch, but...
View ArticleNew Paid Sick Time Legislation in Oregon
By Andrea Kerwin When summer ends, and children go back to school, it can feel like a break for some parents. However, there’s a good chance that your child will miss a day or two of school throughout...
View ArticleMeet our new AmeriCorps VISTA: Katie!
What drew you to this Financial Opportunity Corps position at Innovative Changes? Innovative Changes is the type of organization that I went into college wanting to work for. After a diverse...
View ArticleClient Spotlight: Makeda!
By Andrea Kerwin When Makeda first began the financial coaching program, she knew she had debt but she was hesitant to sit down and look at it. A female entrepreneur in the process of starting her own...
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