2nd Annual Charity Poker Run

The Alliance Area Domestic Violence Shelter is enjoying another successful year of Allstate Foundation funding for the Economic Empowerment Program.  The Economic Empowerment program offers financial literacy classes, a matched savings program, and financial case management to victims of domestic violence.    

Fourteen people participated in the five two-part financial literacy classes between November 2010 and April 2011.  More classes are scheduled in the coming months at the Shelter.  Financial literacy classes focus on the basics of financial abuse, creating budgets and sticking to them, credit scores and how to repair bad credit, and the dangers of identity theft.    After the classes, participants are encouraged to enroll in financial case management meetings to set goals, get help working out a budget, and begin working on repairing any credit problems.   The third facet of the Economic Empowerment Program allows domestic violence survivors an opportunity to save money and have that money matched by funding from the Allstate Foundation. 

Often, the control abusers wield over their victims’ money and emotions can be just as brutal and long lasting than the physical violence.  Repercussions from abusers running up debts or stealing money from their victims can ruin the credit victims desperately need to find housing, jobs, and independence from their abusive past.  By educating these survivors and helping them take control of their own finances, AADVS believes the cycle of violence can be broken.