Stories with Credit

“Eileen”

After suffering a heart attack, Eileen was no longer able to work and she turned to the Ontario Disability Support Program.  The reduced funds provided by this program did not allow her to maintain her living expenses and the minimum payments on her credit cards.  Inevitably, she fell behind with the credit cards and the creditors called on a regular basis.  This stress was overbearing for someone who had recently suffered a heart attack.

A friend told Eileen about the Credit Counselling Service of Durham Region, she immediately called them and scheduled an appointment.  The Agency was able to set up a voluntary repayment for her at payments she could manage.  Eileen is making monthly payments to the Agency, her balances are coming down and more importantly, she is not receiving any creditor calls.

Eileen says she could not have done this without the Credit Counselling Service of Durham Region.  She says the Agency is a good organization that can help families stay together as it allows them to deal with financial problems in a realistic way.

Due to funding received from the United Way of Ajax-Pickering-Uxbridge, the Credit Counselling Service of Durham Region is able to offer their first appointment (a detailed financial assessment) at no cost to the client.

Joe and Kathy

When Joe and Kathy moved, Kathy was not able to find employment right away.  Having been accustomed to the two-incomes, they fell behind in payments. They did not have a huge debtload, but it was large enough to cause family stress and they knew they needed help to deal with it.  They were referred to the Credit Counselling Service of Durham Region by a Bankruptcy trustee.  They have been on a voluntary repayment program for the past two years.  They are repaying their debts while maintaining their family’s needed expenses.

The couple says going to Credit Counselling was the best thing they could do.  They have learned how to properly manage their money including budgeting for their occasional expenses.  Kathy said their involvement with the Agency has been and continues to be a good learning process.  Without Credit Counselling, they feel their story would have ended in bankruptcy.

“Cindy”

Cindy found herself unemployed every summer but was never able to plan for it during the rest of the year.  She found herself using her credit cards much too frequently and was soon carrying a debtload far beyond what she could afford to pay.  Her stress was unbelievable and she once joked that this was what it was like to have a heart attack.  She knew at this point that she needed help.

Cindy says the Credit Counselling Service of Durham Region was literally a lifesaver for her. They immediately helped her with budgeting, counselling and a plan of repayment that she could manage.  Through discussion and a variety of strategies, Cindy has learned to look at money in a different way.  She is learning to live within her budget which is something she had not learned how to do in the past.

Cindy is very grateful for all the support and advice she received from her counsellor and says her life is so much better now.