By Brian Rakovitis, manager of financial empowerment initiatives Nearly two decades ago the United Kingdom government decided to invest in its future (and its youth) by opening savings accounts for every child before their first birthday. As Michigan communities pursue similar initiatives, this program provides further evidence for what we already know: small-dollar savings lead...
Category: <span>Blog</span>
Reaching residents in the age of COVID-19: Show Me the Money Day pivots to virtual
2020 Show Me the Money Day events reached more than 2,300 Michigan residents. Want to bring an event to your community next year? Read through to find how! Show Me the Money Day (SMTMD) is a statewide community and financial resource fair designed to connect low- and moderate-income individuals and families with safe and affordable...
In solidarity: A letter from our executive director
Dear CEDAM members and supporters, The past week has been a heavy and heartbreaking one. With you I mourn the lives of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor — two Black Americans recently murdered by the police — and all those killed before them. I stand in solidarity with the thousands of protesters who are calling...
Changes to CRA expand opportunities for nonprofits responding to COVID-19
By Brian Rakovitis, manager of financial empowerment initiatives On March 19, 2020, the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released a joint statement on CRA consideration for activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The joint statement details changes to financial institutions when working with customers, expands...
Helping unbanked individuals receive their stimulus payments quickly
Stimulus payments are being issued, but for many unbanked individuals it could mean months of unnecessary delay before receiving their payment. By Sydney Lipton, junior policy associate and Brian Rakovitis, manager of financial empowerment initiatives The Federal government recently passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and is disbursing economic impact payments...
Empowering Michigan communities: Immediate and long-term policy responses to COVID-19
We’ve seen the many ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected and altered our daily lives and business as we know it. The crisis is exposing the weaknesses in our social safety net like never before—and financially vulnerable households that were living paycheck-to-paycheck before the pandemic are especially at risk. There are immediate and long-term...
Stimulus checks: Making sure low income households receive an economic impact payment
By now you have probably heard that the federal government, as part of their Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, plans to disburse economic impact payments (sometimes referred to as stimulus checks) to provide financial relief to individuals and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, requirements laid out by the federal government to receive...
Where Are They Now? How Juggling Multiple Priorities During Service Prepared Angie for Hollywood
CEDAM celebrates AmeriCorps Week by highlighting alumni in a "Where are they now?" blog post series.
Where Are They Now? Perseverance Pays Off for Michigan’s AmeriCorps Supervisor of the Month
CEDAM celebrates AmeriCorps Week by highlighting alumni in a "Where are they now?" blog post series.
Where Are They Now? AmeriCorps Service as a Local Foot-in-the-Door
Celebrating AmeriCorps Week, CEDAM highlights AmeriCorps alumni Amy Evans.