On April 20, 55 clients graduated from the SparkPoint OC financial empowerment center located at Salk Elementary School in Anaheim. Their spouses, children and friends came to celebrate their amazing accomplishments in the 12-month program, during which they worked hard to reach their personal goals to pay off debt, increase their assets and manage their credit.

Collectively, this group paid off $51,500 in debt and saved $25,660 and 22 people increased their income by finding work or getting a promotion. Another huge achievement of this class is that 22 of these families were able to move out of homelessness and secure stable housing.

One client who graduated is a single mother, who had been living on the streets with her four children when she was referred to the Program. The family was living day by day, not knowing where they would stay from one night to the next. However, with the help of the SparkPoint OC Case Manager and the McKinney Vento Liaison at Salk Elementary School, the family eventually made it into a shelter and were referred to a subsidized housing program through the Illumination Foundation. Recently, the family moved into their own apartment and the mother stated she was extremely thankful for the program– this was the first year in her life that she was able to put her tax refund into savings. She was also excited to see how her hard work had paid off in other ways like in increasing her credit score by 20 points.

The program’s continued success is the result of a dedicated team of SparkPoint OC staff and their incredible network of partners. It was an honor to have Principal Sylvia Cons of Salk Elementary School, Bill Bailey, the Executive Director of Student Services for the Magnolia School District and Congressman Lou Correa address and congratulate the graduates on their efforts, which have undoubtedly changed the financial future for their families.

Congratulations to the SparkPoint OC Salk Class of 2017! See more photos of the event.