Empower Southern Indiana
Patricia Harper - Program Manager
Phone: 812.288.6451 ext 2117
Email: pharper@casi1.org
Hannah Faulkenburg - Youth Empowerment Specialist
Phone: 812.288.6451 ext 2303
Email: pharper@casi1.org
Empower Southern Indiana
Is a program offered to residents of the Southern Indiana Counties of Clark, Floyd, and Harrison. The mission of Empower Southern Indiana is to empower self-sufficiency through financial literacy, by creating opportunities, and by establishing community connections. Through this systematic approach, we hope to provide life enhancing opportunities for every individual and family desiring to experience extraordinary change in their life.
Our Initiatives:
Individual Development Accounts are matched savings accounts available for low-income individuals seeking to achieve certain financial goals. Under the IDA program, a person’ s savings are matched for purchasing a home, for improving an exist ing home, small business capitalization, or post -secondary education or training. This program helps low -income individuals and families save money that they can invest in high-retu rn, long-term assets . Assets play a vital role in achieving self-sufficiency by providing current economic security and a financial plan for the future. Individual Development Accounts produce positive outcomes such as accelerating the move to homeownership, obtaining safe mortgages, and succeeding as homeowners, completing a post-secondary education, or start in g a business.
200% OMB POVERTY GUIDELINES
Individual Development Account (IDA)
helps low -to-moderate income individuals and families obtain the American Dream of homeownership. Buying a first home is a big deal and can be overwhelming. The First Time Homebuyers Program provides an overview of what to do when buying a home and connects participants with resources.
Educates and connects participants to helpful programs to facilitate the home buying process. Participants will learn about improving credit scores, mortgage options, assistance options, the home-buying process, finding a realtor, closing costs and procedures, insurance, and protecting the investment.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program offer s free taxhelp to people who are income qualified, persons with disabilitiesand limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing toqualified individuals.
In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those whoare 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions aboutpensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors . The IRS-cert ifi ed volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retiredindividuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.
Financial Literacy
The Youth Financial Literacy Program (FYI) will develop a model of financial literacy for low-income youth. As with the current Adult Financial Literacy Program, the Youth Program will teach budgeting, the importance of saving, credit and debt responsibility as the foundations of financial independence, stability, and empowerment. The program will be hands-on and interactive. Theclasses will be designed to teach students financial terminology , basic money management, how the financial system works, theresponsible use of credit and debt, as well as basic investing.Students will learn the role money and finances play in everyday lifeand how to apply this knowledge to their futures.
