Since it’s inception, CAF has maintained a prominent level of community involvement. CAF continues to assess the educational needs of consumers and communities across the nation in an effort to improve financial literacy. With specific focus on budgeting, maintaining credit reports, best practice in credit usage, and personal money management, CAF delivers superior educational presentations and tools to a wide variety of community groups, institutions and organizations.

CAF delivers superior
educational presentations.

Averaging two presentations monthly to high school students, CAF is very aware of the prevalent lack of information this age group actually has as they begin to take steps into the ‘adult world’ of credit. CAF works regularly with world famous Girls & Boystown High School, preparing their youth to understand credit and debt, and how to make educated decisions in their financial dealings as they make their way in the world.

CAF is also involved in raising awareness of older students through programs offered at area technical colleges, as well as the University of Nebraska. These students, of all ages, have many questions regarding credit card usage, credit reports, and of course, student loans.

In addition, CAF assists employers to educate their employees through lunch ‘n learn presentations, and EAP’s. CAF has helped both small and large businesses as they develop ‘credit smart’ staff, and provide options for relieving debt stress for those with credit difficulties.

CAF connects and contributes to many other community organizations as well. CAF works closely with the Federal Prison Release Program through the Federal Probation Office by training their clients on budgeting, and other necessary skills to help them get back into the community as successful and functioning citizens. Other non-profit groups, including the Red Cross, and local hospitals have utilized CAF as a source of information for their client programs and employees.

The Board of Directors of Credit Advisors Foundation leads the way for the entire organization in an effort to promote community education and involvement. Encourage your employer or community group to contact CAF today for more information about a custom presentation for your organization.

University of Nebraska College of Law is one of these clinics. The mission of these legal clinics is to provide free or low cost legal assistance to those individuals dealing with consumer issues who otherwise cannot afford legal representation. The NU legal clinic has represented consumers in many different types of cases from landlord/tenant issues to consumer protection matters. CAF anticipates continued participation and success for the programs.

Credit Advisors Foundation and Family Service, in an effort to recognize the importance of family in communities sponsored the Salute to Families. Four families were honored for their exceptional efforts and the impact they make in the lives of others. Those honored include:

The Salute to Families
honored four inspiring
families.

The Jerry and Cookie Hoberman Family - Leadership Family. The Hoberman Family demonstrates their deep respect for others through their community involvement. While ‘family comes first’, the Hobermans’ encourage all family members to be active in community concerns, especially education.

The Ron and Twany Dotzler Family - Commitment to Family. With 13 children the Dotzlers’ have become very creative in organizing, supporting, and leading their busy group. Through partnering and mentoring the younger children with the older, the family focuses on each child’s unique talents, strengths, and gifts in an effort to encourage understanding of every person’s differences and potential.

The Mark Kocsis Family - Community Service Family. Mark’s wife Susanna M. Kocsis lost her battle with breast cancer in June 2000. Towards the end of her struggle Mark strived to keep those concerned updated about her status, but found the time involved limited the time he could spend with his wife. After Susanna’s death Mark and their daughters, Jill, Kimberly and Sarah created Cancer TeleCall™. Using this program friends and family of cancer patients can call to hear up-to-the-minute pre-recorded messages from the patient or family. The family hopes through this free service to share healing and hope to the patients, families and friends of other cancer sufferers.

The Rusty and Dorene Nelson Family - Challenged and Successful Family. The Nelson family has adopted or fostered 36 challenged children of different races, ethnicities and ages. While theirs is not an easy life, the Nelson family celebrates the life and accomplishments of each child and counts success through each child’s developing sense of family and love for each other every day.

CAF extends congratulations to all the families honored and nominated.

CAF and Family Service are continuing to develop their community partnership with the expectation of superior results and high impact on the individual lives both organizations touch.

The Counseling offered by Family Service is based on the systems approach, one that looks at the individual’s behavior as well as the influences of his or her family, workplace, and community activities to determine the most successful treatment plan. The fees for most of the services offered by Family Service are determined on a sliding scale basis, in harmony with the sliding scale utilized by CAF.

CAF is able to assist the Family Service clients with financial issues through a wide variety of their programs including marriage and family counseling, senior and geriatric counseling, and compulsive gambling treatment programs.

Referrals are also made from the domestic abuse counseling program in an effort to empower victims of abuse as they begin anew and confront financial issues and responsibilities.

The Third Annual Heartland Latino Leadership Conference was recently held in Credit Advisors Foundation’s hometown.

The Third Annual
Heartland Latino
Leadership
Conference was
held at the Qwest
Convention Center
Arena in Omaha,
Nebraska.

”Our conference is intended to support continued development of Leadership capacity among the Latino community. It is also a forum for Latinos and their supporters to come together to network and increase their access to resources and opportunities,” said Albert Cervantes, HLLC Board Member and Conference Committee Member, when extending the invitation to CAF to participate.

The CAF presentation stressed the importance of establishing and maintaining a good credit standing and how it can effect so many different aspects of life, from getting a job to being prepared to purchase a home.

CAF’s involvement with the conference made a significant contribution to assist attendees, their families and their future contacts to effectively pursue the American dream while continuing to honor the Latino culture.

This month in Word Search, your assignment is to locate the following words relating to the newsletter articles involving the community connection and involvement of Credit Advisors Foundation. Good Hunting!

Business Community Credit Education Family Foundation Latino Leadership Legal Service Student

While February may seem a little early for spring cleaning, it’s never too early to educate our children about community involvement. Instead of listening to our children say, “I’m bored”, while they sit in front of the TV watching cartoon reruns - how about getting our kids involved in the community?

Now is the perfect time, (post holiday, pre-spring and summer when family activities may increase), to take an afternoon and look through out-grown clothes and toys. Help your child determine what a more needy family may be able to use. Suggest some area charities, homeless or family shelters that your child could gift with these still usable items.

Let your child choose a non-perishable item or two at the grocery store to donate to a local food bank during the ‘off-season’.

Have your child go with you to drop off the gifts. This important step allows them to observe first hand, as you to explain in a simple manner, how each item will help someone in need. Help your child understand the importance of helping and contributing back to the community and some of the many positive ways people choose to make a difference. Let’s give our children a chance to be proud of the town they live in and what they can accomplish for others.

Achieve your goals.
Get out of debt with no regret!

Over 100 clients achieved their goal of becoming debt free last month through the Credit Advisors Foundation Debt Management Program. Sticking to their budgets through thick and thin, reading the Defeat Debt newsletter and learning helpful ways to stay on target, these clients have become credit smart and worked their way to a brighter future.

It wasn’t always easy. Even in the early days when it seemed as if the creditors would never cooperate, or the income to make the payments would not cover all expenses, these CAF clients kept their eyes on the goal. With Credit Advisors Foundation in your corner, you can do it too!

Country Chicken & Rice is another dollar stretcher from The Kitchen on a Dime. Remember, buying a whole chicken and cutting it into pieces is less expensive that buying pre-cut pieces. Our recipe this month ran approximately $.75 a serving.

(Of course, sometimes it can make budgetary sense to buy only those pieces that your family will actually eat. )

Yummy Country
Chicken and Rice
saves money too!

Country Chicken & Rice

Two Tablespoons of olive oil (divided)

One 3 to 3 1/2 lb. Chicken, cut into 8 pieces

6 cups of water

2 cans (15 oz. each) tomato sauce

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups long or whole grain rice, rinsed

In a large pot, heat one tablespoon of the oil. Brown four chicken pieces at a time, remove from pot and repeat with remaining oil and chicken pieces.

Once all chicken is browned, return all pieces to the pot. Add all other ingredients EXCEPT rice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Cover and cook for 35 minutes.

Add the rice and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender, no pink remains in the chicken, and the chicken juices run clear.

Serves 6 to 8.

* Don’t forget good kitchen hygiene. Washing hands and counter tops frequently, when working with uncooked chicken