Founded
in 1973 as Consumer Credit Counseling Service of WNC to provide budget and
credit counseling to a few hundred people, OnTrack WNC has grown to serve 18 counties in Western North Carolina – annually helping more than 12,000
people achieve their money and housing goals.
Since the early 1970s,
OnTrack WNC has expanded services beyond Asheville’s main office and now offers
local counseling at seven satellite locations across WNC. Twenty staff
members provide credit/housing counseling, debt management plans, financial
literacy education, and administrative/client support.
In
2007 the agency changed its name to OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling
to better represent the broad range of services it offers to help people get
“on track” with their money and credit.
As
needs have changed, OnTrack WNC’s services have also evolved. Today our
certified financial/housing counselors help consumers with budgets, debt,
student loans, reverse mortgages, home buying, and foreclosure prevention. Our
educators offer dynamic financial literacy programs for adult, children and
youth. We’ve expanded our collaborative programs through matched savings for
homeownership; partnerships with local employers, like Mission Hospitals and
The Biltmore Company; the Women’s Financial Empowerment Center; and the
Free Tax Prep Project.
"It's exciting to
look back over our history to see how the agency has continued to adapt and
evolve to meet Western North Carolina’s ever-changing needs. We could not have
done it without the steady support of funders, the strong network of nonprofit
agencies, our amazing board and dedicated staff!" says Executive Director Celeste
Collins.
The agency's strategic planning in 2000 created the stair steps to financial empowerment which depicts the journey from crisis to stability, to self-sufficiency and ultimately to gaining assets. This continuum continues to provide the framework for identifying client needs, analyzing service gaps, and evaluating program expansion opportunities.
The
economic recession and mortgage crisis challenged OnTrack WNC to restructure
and expand to meet the ever-growing demand for intensive foreclosure prevention
counseling. Board President Dawn Starks states “OnTrack WNC’s ability to
respond quickly to the recent economic crisis by offering pertinent programs
and expanding services reflects the nimbleness and expertise of the agency’s
leadership.”
Important
OnTrack WNC highlights include:
· In
December 2010, at the height of the economic crisis, the NC Housing Finance
launched the statewide NC Foreclosure Prevention Loan Fund. Realizing
the program would be an important resource for families, OnTrack WNC quickly
agreed to manage the program for the 18 counties in Western NC. As of
August 2013, over $11.5 million in mortgage assistance has enabled 560
Western NC families to keep their homes.
· OnTrack
WNC launched the Women’s Financial Empowerment Center (WFEC) in 2010,
and since the program’s inception has served over 1,200 women. The second Women
and Money Conference will be held on Saturday, October 5th of this
year.
· OnTrack
WNC’s Free Tax Preparation Project has grown by leaps and bounds since
its beginning in 2007. For the 2013 tax season, the agency filed 857 returns
for a total of $1,269,604 in refunds. We helped our clients, who had an
average household income of $22,144, save an estimated $170,000 on tax
preparation fees.
On
Monday, September 16th, OnTrack WNC launched a year of celebration with a
successful 40th Birthday Party donor reception. Donors,
sponsors, staff and board gathered at Metro Wines in Asheville for the
event, which featured three poets from Asheville’s own amazing Brave
New Voices/Slam Asheville Youth. Shanita Jackson, Bryan Head and
Brooke Paley performed “spoken word poetry” on the themes of Poverty, Passion
and Privilege which are central to OnTrack WNC’s mission.
OnTrack
WNC helps
people achieve their money and housing goals through financial education,
counseling, and support so they can overcome crises, afford basic needs,
improve money management skills, and make sound financial choices rooted in
their values.
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