An Example of Financial Opportunity Center Impact in 2017

Anthony Bygrave said it’s a dream to feel financially free.

The 59-year-old Jamaica native, who has lived in the United States for the past 27 years, said the Urban League of Essex County (ULEC) and the LISC Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) program helped change his life, find a steady job and save thousands of dollars. "I feel independent and it is a wonderful feeling," said Bygrave, of East Orange, N.J.

Bygrave is nearing the two-year anniversary of being employed as a package loader at a Stop and Shop warehouse. He has increased his credit score by 90 points, opened both checking and saving accounts, moved into his own apartment after previously living with relatives, purchased a used car and decreased his debt by more than $11,000. He saved almost $4,000 in 2017, and he plans to buy another car in 2018 to use as an Uber or Lyft driver, earning extra money toward his dream of owning his own home – in Georgia or Florida – by 2020.

"Anything you want to accomplish, you can do it with proper planning," Bygrave said. "You will not fail if you plan ahead and put your resources together."

Bygrave lost his job as a forklift operator in July 2015 when the business was shut down. About a year later, he came to ULEC unemployed and on the verge of exhausting his unemployment benefits and savings.

He was then referred to one of three LISC Financial Opportunity Centers in Newark by a family friend. With his FOC financial coach, Kamilla Johnson, who meets with Bygrave regularly, he has turned his financial life around.

After working with ULEC and the LISC FOC, Anthony Bygrave (above) said, "I feel independent and it is a wonderful feeling."

"Since our first appointment, he has shown a commitment to getting the good things going and making progress," said Johnson, of Newark. "Mr. Bygrave has changed his mindset with respect to how he manages his finances, tackles tough financial decisions and saves. He’s done this by setting smart goals for himself and sticking to his plan."

After attending some initial ULEC workforce training sessions and his first financial coaching meeting, Bygrave quickly learned about the services available to help him get back on his feet. He participated in ULEC’s Fast Track to Success Program, which provides additional incentives for financial opportunity center clients receiving SNAP benefits – New Jersey’s Supplemental Nutritional and Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps.

The Fast Track to Success Program provides intensive workforce development training and workshops over a two-week period – providing coaching, guidance and financial assistance to clients as they transition to employment and training programs. Less than two months after enrolling in both programs, Bygrave earned a job at his current employer, and he’s received two raises since.

Bygrave also recently joined a group of 18 participants benefiting from LISC’s Twin Accounts, a matched savings program that helps people both build up their credit and their savings. Clients save $25 monthly, and their savings are matched for a period of 12 months, generating $600 in savings after a year.

For Johnson, Bygrave represents one of many success stories for the FOC. "I am elated every time a client commits to coaching and reaches their goal; I feel privileged to be a change agent in the process," she said. "However, I constantly remind my clients that they are the masters of their own lives, and I am just a facilitator helping them along for a period of time."

Bygrave loves feeling like he’s the master of his financial domain. "And I will never give up," Bygrave said. "In life there are obstacles, but you have to have the will within you because I know there are things to accomplish. I know what I’m working for and I have a goal."