COLORADO SPRINGS — For people living paycheck to paycheck, hiring a financial advisor may not be an option. Free help is available- it's as simple as dialing 2-1-1.
A Pikes Peak United Way staff member will direct you to the right services for free.
David Prudhomme said more people are calling 211 for debt relief and financial help. "It can be hard to think in those situations and hard to know where to go and that's kind of the role we try to fill."
United Way has about 2,400 partner agencies in El Paso and Teller Counties, all offering different kinds of help.
Mt. Carmel Veterans Services is one of those partners. It offers free or low-cost financial planning classes and counseling.
"Inflation unfortunately impacts us all and we're finding too especially potential threat of a government shutdown at the federal level, there's a lot of confusion on who will and who will not get paid," said one volunteer Sterling Campbell.
Campbell helps veterans get out of debt. He said there are a lot of people in need. "I Just feel the need as a veteran myself and having had to ask for help sometimes in the past, I want to be able to give back. . . hopefully share and pass on what we've learned to other fellow veterans and families, it's a pretty need thing."
About 40,000 people call Pikes Peak United Way for help every year. "My advice would be to not wait, not let things get so overwhelming to the point where you don't even know what to do," said Prudhomme.
Because the need is so great, the United Way is launching a new Family Success Center. It opens in November with more free financial help services in Southeast Colorado Springs.
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