A number of GCRI member organizations provide community resources related to Financial Education and Empowerment, including assistance in income tax preparation, skilled volunteers for job search/resume/interview workshops, and financial literacy workshops on topics like credit, budgeting and buying a house.

Tax Preparation Assistance

If you need assistance in preparing your income taxes through the VITA program, please call United Way’s 2-1-1 help line (dial 211)

If you are a community-based organization and would like to become a VITA site, please contact Anne.Quinterno@uwri.org

If you would like to volunteer at a VITA site, please contact Janice.PothierPac@uwri.org

Financial Education

To request a volunteer speaker or workshop:

Bank Newport
Speakers on Financial Education Topics
Meredith Cropper, Community Relations Coordinator
meredith.cropper@banknewport.com or (401) 845-8698

BayCoast Bank
Speakers on Financial Education Topics
Lucy Rebelo, Assistant Vice President, Financial Literacy Education Officer
lrebelo@baycoastbank.com

Centreville Bank
Speakers on Financial Education Topics
Meg Apostolou
Mapostolou@centrevillebank.com

Citizens Bank
Speakers on Financial Education Topics
Vanessa Toledo-Vickers, Vice President – Community Development Market Manager, RI and CT
vtoledo-vickers@citizensbank.com

Coastal1 Credit Union
Financial Education 
Jason Hernandez
jason.hernandez@coastal1.org

Fidelity Investments
Speakers on Financial Topics for Youth, Central and Northern RI
Travis Escobar
travis.escobar@fmr.com

Harbor One Bank
Financial Wellness Topics for Adults and K12
Sheila Farragher
sfarragher@harborone.com

 

Financial Empowerment

To request a skilled volunteer for a job search/resume/interview workshop, please use the Skilled Volunteer Request Form.

LISC Rhode Island supports Financial Opportunity Centers in Providence and Woonsocket

Other Community Resources in Rhode Island for Financial Education and Empowerment

(not affiliated with GCRI )

Capital Good Fund

Connecting for Children and Families’ Center for Financial Success

RI Jump$tart Coalition

Predatory Lending Resources and Videos

Center for Responsible Lending
Videos, including stories of borrowers caught in the debt cycle of payday loans

Pew Charitable Trust resources
Standards Needed for Safe Small Installment Loans From Banks, Credit Unions – information on opportunities for banks and credit unions to provide alternatives to predatory loan products (2018)
“Payday Lending in America”report  (2015)
Videos that can be used in educational settings.

St. Louis Federal Reserve Payday Lending Resources
Tax refund/refund anticipation checks loan video
Banks and alternatives video