Success Stories

Whether it's loss of a job, poor education or just plain bad luck, Tabor counselors work to empower our clients to over come their financial problems through confidential counseling. Here are a few families who battled through tough financial times and came out on top.

Hard Work and Dedication Pay Off

In February, 1998, Ileana came to Tabor’s Consumer Credit Counseling Service for help with her finances. She recently worked through a difficult divorce and was determined to clear up her credit report. She was paying countless bills that her ex-husband charged to her name even after they were separated. Medical bills, a car, clothing and much more were charged to Ileana making her credit report a disaster. To look at Ileana, you won’t see that she has a will of iron. Her small stature and shy demeanor give little indication of her determination to make a better life for herself and her two young boys, Johnny and JanCarlo. But, talk to Ileana and you’ll see another side.

Throughout her time in the CCCS program, Ileana received countless calls from creditors day after day, threatening her about bills of which she was unaware. At one point in time, her credit report ran a balance of 25 pages and Ileana was forced to pay every single bill until the balance was zero. She did all of this and more by herself. Not only did Ileana pay her CCCS bills but she also enrolled in Tabor’s Family Savings Account (FSA) program and started saving for her education. And, after two years of never missing a CCCS payment, Ileana cleared up her credit, graduated from the FSA program, is going to school for her accounting degree and is currently working with Tabor’s STEPS pre-purchase program to buy a home of her own someday. When asked about the obligation of paying off her CCCS bill while saving for FSA, Ileana commented, “When I began payroll direct deposit into my FSA account, it was a painless way to save money. I never missed the money that was taken out of my paycheck.”

Ileana is continuing her saving habits and is now working with the FSA program a second time to save for a home. When answering the question about how FSA has improved her life, Ileana responded, “I have learned to set goals for myself and I am able to focus on those goals. I have learned how to manage my money and save for the goals I have in my life.”

HOME AT LAST!

"I grew up on welfare," said Patricia, who moved to Lancaster from Chester about seven years ago while recovering from a drug addiction. Patricia wanted to create a new beginning for herself and her family. She did just that! On Tuesday, June 5, 2000, Patricia became the proud owner of a newly renovated home in Lancaster.

After pulling the scattered pieces of her life back together, Patricia walked into Tabor in the summer of 1998, ready to buy a house. Or so she thought. Patricia didn't realize that her $7,000 in unpaid credit card bills would interfere with her dream of becoming a homeowner.

After meeting with her Tabor counselor, she realized that her unpaid bills were a problem and her goal of purchasing a home needed to be postponed until she worked out a debt payment plan. Tabor worked with Patricia to pay off her debt and enrolled her in a state- sponsored savings program (FSA) along with classes to help her create a budgeting plan. With determination and a lot of disciplined saving, Patricia knew her dream could become a reality.

On June 5, 2000, after two years of hard work, Patricia's dream came true as she became a proud owner of her own house. In addition to paying off her credit cards, Patricia put $1,000 down on the house and also saved $1,200 through the FSA savings program. She plans to use that money to buy her first car- just as soon as she learns how to drive.

"She's come so far," said Bridget Cochran, Tabor's pre-purchase counselor. "This is the first time she's really worked and seen the fruit of her efforts."

"This is like an accomplishment that overwhelms me. It wasn't easy, but it happened. And that's the best part. It happened," said Patricia.