Adrienne Clark really wanted to own her own home, but her financial problems felt like a real roadblock. “My sister would say to me, ‘We can’t even afford to buy five pieces of bubble gum with our credit.’”

Adrienne was struggling with credit card debt, but was ready to make the necessary changes so she could purchase a home. A friend referred her to a homeownership program offered through Habitat for Humanity. It introduced Adrienne to free one-on-one financial counseling provided by the Nashville Financial Empowerment Center.

“The Financial Empowerment Center can help. It’s free; go there and let them help you get your credit back on track.”

“My counselor pulled my credit report during my first session,” Adrienne said. “She set up a budget plan for me that she knew I could handle.” For an entire year, Adrienne kept to her plan, worked to rebuild her credit, and finally bought her own house.

Adrienne’s weekly counseling sessions at the Financial Empowerment Center worked for her. She still meets with her counselor to maintain a budget, and is making steady payments on her new mortgage.