A Few Minutes with Heather Garcia

Heather Garcia, Supervisor, Casa Familiar

The way Heather Garcia views her life’s work, there are two constants: Helping those who need her guidance and expertise in basic financial matters, and rooting for the Padres.

A self-described “preacher’s kid” who has been with Casa Familiar for about 18 months, Garcia has so far helped some 500 clients improve their financial standing, with the goals of increased savings, lower debt and higher credit scores.

LISC San Diego recently designated Casa Familiar, based in San Ysidro, as one of its Financial Opportunity Centers, part of LISC National’s FOC network. Soft-launching in May, Casa Familiar’s FOC will provide employment and career services, financial coaching and education, and low-cost financial products that build credit, savings and assets.

Fluent in English, Spanish and Italian (thanks to a college year she spent in Florence), Garcia earned a BA degree in history from Pacific Union College in Napa Valley. Prior to joining Casa Familiar, she worked as a staffer for several elected officials, in the Coachella Valley and San Diego County.

What does “financial literacy” mean to you?
It means feeling you have enough knowledge to make good, informed, and consistent decisions about your finances. It empowers you to feel confident that you can manage your money. In some cases, we’ve been able to raise credit scores by as much as 100 points, a goal our clients may not have thought possible.

What is the break-through point for those who seek your help?
It’s always on-going. We strive to first diagnose the problem and then say, “How can we work to improve this situation?” Then it’s a matter of, “How can we build on that?” A lot of our clients don’t have even a basic understanding of what credit is or how to open a checking account. For us, it’s a matter of taking it step by step, working to improve their personal and family finances.

What is your ultimate goal for your clients?
We want to help them to continue to grow in their overall decision-making, like the fact that paying bills on time will give you a better credit score, which is vital in buying a house or a car, for example.  We’re not always successful, but we try to provide a path for that to happen.

How did your upbringing and childhood influence you to devote your career to serving others?
I’ve learned we can all learn from anybody when we come to work every day with an open mind and an open heart. Everyone who comes to us for help has something to offer.

What’s been the reception from the people you serve?
Sometimes it’s hard to get people in the door. They can be afraid and even ashamed. But once they’re here, you see that light start to turn on and they get so excited. For me, that’s an amazing feeling. 

Heather Garcia
Casa Familiar
heatherg@casafamiliar.org
619.428.1115 ext. 339