Fulton Mom Eliminates Payday Loans With CMCA Financial Help

La'Chelle, a Fulton mother, paid off three payday loans and saved over $2,000 for maternity leave through CMCA's Financial Opportunity Center program.

La'Chelle's child enrolled in CMCA's Head Start home visitation program, where her family success coach referred her to the FOC after noticing financial decisions that held back her progress. She acknowledged using spending to cope with stress, overwhelm, and depression tied to underemployment.

A FOC coach identified her core problem: lack of reliable childcare limited her to eight hours of work weekly. The coach connected her with dependable childcare, allowing La'Chelle to increase her hours and stabilize her income. Together they built a budget, caught up on overdue bills, and tackled her payday loan debt.

La'Chelle learned meal planning and efficient grocery shopping. She set aside money for discretionary spending and directed extra paychecks toward debt repayment. "Working with the programs has allowed me to save and budget along with meal prepping," she said. "If I didn't have the help from the FOC, I believe I wouldn't have been able to pay off any debt and feel good about accomplishing a goal."