Financial Opportunity Center® (FOC) Network
As part of the LISC Houston strategy to increase the capacity and resources available in order to help communities thrive, LISC believes in the power of families to serve as a critical unit of change. When we can impact the ability of one individual family to stabilize and thrive, we move the needle on addressing the overall community.
Families need access to information, skills, knowledge and support in order to shift the trajectory of their lives. LISC Houston works closely with several partner agencies across the city to make these resources available.
Located in neighborhoods across Houston, Financial Opportunity Center® (FOC) network sites are career and personal financial service centers that help low- to moderate-income people build smart money habits and focus on their personal financial bottom line through three core services:
- Employment and career planning assistance
Free vocational training scholarships, job searching assistance, resume writing, and interview prep
- Financial education and coaching
Access to safe financial products, credit building assistance and budgeting assistance
- Screening for public benefit eligibility
Assistance in applying for benefits such as Snap, TANF, rental assistance, etc.
Helping clients to set goals, make a plan or create a budget are all important aspects of financial stability. However, an integrated or “bundled” approach has been shown to have greater gains. FOC clients who are supported with all three core services experience concrete gains in net income and job retention. Research shows that FOC clients who take advantage of combined services are 50 percent more likely to land a well-paying job than people receiving employment services alone. Also, long-term job retention—holding a job for a year or more—almost doubles when financial coaching reinforces the work of employment counseling.
Bridges to Career Opportunities, builds upon the successful FOC model by helping clients to develop those needed skills in order to access good jobs with good wages. Through this initiative, FOC clients receive coaching while also ramping up their educational skills, accessing technical training and pursuing certifications in a chosen industry. The goal of the program is to connect people to jobs that have growth along a career pathway, while also building a strong workforce for employers. Employers from key growth-industries provide insight about needed skills, criteria for success as well as hiring opportunities for those clients who successfully complete training.
Houston’s Four Financial Opportunity Center® Network sites:
- The Alliance (Gulfton)
- Chinese Community Center (Alief)
- Volunteers of America (Independence Heights)
- Wesley Community Center (Near Northside)
LISC Resource: Check out this new one-pager highlighting our Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities programs!
