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Daily CSR

Daily CSR
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KeyBank supports NY’s Financial Empowerment Center with $100,000 grant



03/21/2023


Mayor Malik D. Evans of Rochester, New York, announced a $100,000 grant from KeyBank to support the City's Office of Financial Empowerment's FEC ("Financial Empowerment Center") program. The funding will enable the FEC to expand its efforts to promote homeownership for low-income families, support small businesses, and serve a larger number of re-entry population individuals.

“I am extremely grateful for KeyBank’s generous financial gift that will go a long way to helping more citizens learn how to establish good credit, pay down debt, utilize safe banking, and increase their savings,” said Mayor Evans. “The FEC program is an empowering asset for families and entrepreneurs that equalizes opportunities by providing the necessary financial tools to build a brighter future and improve quality of life.”

“KeyBank’s purpose is to help the communities we serve thrive. We are pleased to support the important work that the Rochester Financial Empowerment Center does to promote homeownership, support small businesses and promote economic inclusion,” said Phil Muscato, KeyBank Rochester Market President.

“All of us at KeyBank are excited to partner with the City to drive investment in and bring opportunity to the greater Rochester community.”

The FEC offers free, professional one-on-one financial counselling to individuals and families with low-to-moderate incomes to assist them in managing their finances, paying down debt, increasing savings, establishing and building credit, and gaining access to safe and affordable mainstream banking products.

Since its inception in February 2020, the program has served over 2,300 clients, who have collectively increased their savings by over $1.6 million and reduced their non-mortgage debt by more than $2.2 million.

Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Rochester manages the FEC program. Financial counselling is integrated into other social services such as housing and foreclosure prevention, workforce development, and prisoner reentry in the program model.

Foodlink, Ibero American Action League, Inc., the Rochester Housing Authority, OACES, Monroe Community College, and the Monroe County Department of Human Services are among the organizations with which the FEC collaborates.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling provides professional training and certification to FEC counsellors (NFCC). To make an appointment, call (585)-252-7110 or send an email to the Rochester Financial Empowerment Center.