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
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
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
Pawtucket Credit Union
Financial Education Workshops
Jason Hernandez
jason.hernandez@coastal1.org
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 )
Connecting for Children and Families’ Center for Financial Success
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