HANCOCK COUNTY — Community Outreach for Financial Education (COFFE) Inc. recently conducted a financial literacy course at the Hancock County Public Library.
The Jan. 9 class included Bruce Ford, financial advisor, teaching “Major Changes Coming to Social Security in 2016”; fraud examiner Greg Wright, teaching “Is Your Financial Advisor a Crook?” and Donnie Munden of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, teaching “Identity Theft for Seniors.”
Josh Bach, COFFE Inc. director, co-founded the nonprofit in early 2014, after recognizing a growing gap in financial education.
It is an organization that offers communities a range of free classes, from the basics of building credit to the pitfalls of debt mismanagement. The organization has grown significantly since its inception.
While the local facility is the organization’s only office, a partnership with the American Library Association has allowed its programs to spread to other states, Bach said.
The nonprofit, which operates on an annual budget of about $50,000, now has representatives leading presentations in 22 states, and the hope is to expand its reach to all 50 by the end of 2016, said co-founder Bruce Ford.
Representatives are trained by the organization to lead the classes, and their professional background often overlaps with the topics they teach, he said.
COFFE Inc. events are free and open to the public.
For more information, call COFFE Inc. at 317-318-8355 or visit coffeusa.org.
