UNIFY Financial CU Partners With NFL Player for New Financial Education Initiative
Money management classes will be delivered through an organization founded to end student homelessness.
The $3.3 billion UNIFY Financial Credit Union in Torrance, Calif., said Tuesday it partnered with an NFL player’s foundation to deliver financial education for an organization that provides affordable housing and support services for students pursuing a college degree.
In Los Angeles County, one in five community college students become homeless, according to the Los Angeles Room and Board organization founded to end student homelessness. While post-secondary education and training enable students to obtain higher paying jobs, only 30% of them earn their associate’s degree within three years. Homelessness has become a barrier for students to achieve their higher education goals, Los Angeles Room and Board’s research found.
UNIFY’s 12-week program, provided with Los Angeles Rams Linebacker Kenny Young and his Tackle Young Foundation, will help students living at Los Angeles Room & Board to gain the knowledge and confidence in money management.
“With the recent economic challenges faced in 2020, the need for financial education is more prevalent than ever,” UNIFY President/CEO Gordon Howe said in a prepared statement. “We are excited to partner with the Tackle Young Foundation to help provide powerful financial lessons for these students to impact their relationship with money and close the financial literacy gap.”
Topics covered in the Tackle Finances program will explore budget basics, savings, credit scores and the psychology of spending to give students a foundational overview of financial management.
Young will spend the first week of Tackle Finances introducing the program to students and encouraging them to understand the financial tools and how they can provide opportunities to achieve success. He will continue throughout the rest of the program participating in sessions and engaging the students.
“I am proud to provide an opportunity for these students to grow their understanding of financial management and close the gap on financial literacy,” Young said. “Younger people have been hit hard financially by the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m striving to provide the resources to help get them back on track.”