Program aids Kansas City Residents to Create Thoughtful Savings Plans and Establish Financial Stability

Community Assistance Council steps up with the Empower Program

Kansas City, MO- In the metropolitan hub of Kansas City, efforts are ramping up to assist residents in creating substantial savings accounts and ensure they are financially empowered. The main hero in this endeavor is a program known as the Empower Program, established by the Community Assistance Council (CAC).

Meet Kymesha Swinton, a single mother of four who once wrestled with financial instability. The tables started turning when Swinton crossed paths with CAC. “I was in a dark spot before coming here,” Swinton confessed. “I had lost a job, faced transportation issues, and more.”

Battling the Odds to Achieve Financial Empowerment

Kymesha’s primary goal was simple but challenging – save. “It’s hard to save having kids, having bills, but the Empower Program made it possible,” said Swinton. She worked closely with Marshelle Lyons, a case manager at CAC, who helped her achieve a saving goal of $1,000.

Lyons stated that the Empower program, a year-long dedicated initiative, helps build stability around money and wellness. It does so with the help of financial advisers and therapists. “All of my clients don’t have an emergency fund,” says Lyons, “Kymesha is the first to have an emergency fund. I am proud of her.”

The Course Towards Sustainable Stability

Despite her financial achievements, Swinton acknowledges that the fund is hard to maintain but she is determined to keep pushing. Her journey now heads towards credit repair and more ambitious goals. “I got my CDL. Now I’m focusing on going back to school. I’m enrolled in pilot school. I know if I really, really need it, I can go get it.”

Swinton’s case manager, Marshelle Lyons, emphasized that managing money isn’t something that we naturally know how to do. This lack of financial education is what the Empower program seeks to address.

End Result: Financially Empowered Individuals and Families

What sets the Empower Program apart is it’s not just about financial freedom. The initiative holistically empowers its clients with mental, physical, and other types of support needed, aiming to alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress.

Swinton’s story serves not only as a testament to her resilience but also as an investment in the future. “I wasn’t taught at all about saving money,” she confessed. But now she is actively teaching her kids the importance of money management. Through committed effort and with the right tools in hand, anyone can stand on their feet and say, as Swinton does, “I’m most definitely empowered.”