Both nonprofits have their roots in the 1960s: BALANCE began in 1969 as Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco; CCCS of Kern and Tulare Counties was founded in 1966.

“For more than 50 years, they have provided the local community with much-needed financial counseling, debt repayment options and homebuyer assistance,” Davis said. “They are a trusted neighbor and have always been on the side of consumers.”

Stephen Pelz, Board Chair of CCCS, added, “we are pleased to be able to not only preserve, but enhance the services provided by CCCS to our local communities through the merger. BALANCE is a well-respected organization, and Kern County residents will benefit from the expanded services.”

Meanwhile, BALANCE also announced that Northwest Credit Union Foundation has selected BALANCE's BalanceTrack eLearning modules. These training programs will be offered to credit unions offering the Northwest Matched Education Savings Account (MESA) Program. MESA provides financial assistance to individuals with lower incomes by helping them save for post-secondary education at Idaho, Oregon, or Washington schools.

“We looked for a fun, easy, helpful resource for our MESA students and we found that in our partnership with BALANCE,” said Denise Gabel, NWCUF Executive Director.