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Why Unity Campaign and the Credit Café Go Hand-in-Hand

Lacy Ames • February 28, 2023

Why Unity Campaign and the Credit Café Go Hand-in-Hand

IHA is one of thirty nonprofits who are part of the Unity Campaign for Frederick County from March 8 – 10, 2023. 

 

What is the Unity Campaign you ask?  

The Unity Campaign is a collaborative donation campaign project between nonprofit partners, sponsors and the greater Frederick community. This campaign happens annually in March and its 100% online, plus 100% of individual donations go to the nonprofit of your choice (which we are hoping you choose Interfaith Housing Alliance “IHA”). 


Why donate to the Unity Campaign? 

All included nonprofits support ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households which means these families earn an income above the Federal Poverty Level but still struggle to afford basic household necessities such as housing, transportation, childcare, food, transportation, and health care. The most recent ALICE report found that 37% of households in Frederick County, MD are considered ALICE, so it is very possible that someone you know is an ALICE household and could benefit from your support! Interested in learning more about ALICE? Follow this link: https://www.unitedwayfrederick.org/challenge-alice  


What will IHA do with Unity Campaign Donations? 

IHA’s Credit Café Workshop will be the beneficiary of these donations through the Unity Campaign. The Credit Café Workshop is 100% free to all participants who reach out seeking assistance with improving their credit. Just $56 can help cover the cost of two credit reports per participant who attends. 


How does IHA’s Credit Café Workshop help ALICE households? 

An individual’s credit is called into question in every area of life whether they are renting an apartment, applying for a car or mortgage loan, applying for a job, or even turning on their utilities. The Credit Café increases participants' knowledge of how to make lasting, life-long changes to their credit and/or everyday financial decisions. These changes help participants secure greater financial stability for themselves and their families through pursuit of better housing, lower interest rates on loans, and/or better jobs. More than anything, the changes that Credit Café participants implement in their lives as a result of our program helps to mitigate their need to make those hard financial choices on day-to-day expenses. 

 

During the last fiscal year, July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022, IHA served 135 individuals whose average yearly household income was approximately $37,813. To date in this fiscal year, July 2022 – June 2023, IHA has already served 75 individuals whose average yearly household income is approximately $34,862. 


How does the Credit Café Workshop work? 

The Credit Café Workshop combines education and strategic credit goal setting to help participants improve, maintain, or boost their credit scores and decrease their overall debts. The educational portion happens first with a 1-hour group workshop that is offered multiple times each month year-round. This workshop covers a broad array of topic related to understanding how credit works and best practices for maintaining it. 

 

The second portion is a personalized 30-minute one-on-one credit report review session with an advisor to occur virtually within 1 week of completing the group workshop. The advisor provides participants with an understanding on how to read their credit report and set credit related goals to meet their future financial needs. IHA provides each participant with a free, personal copy of their tri-merged credit report that is pulled the day of the event to provide the most up-to-date information for this one-on-one meeting. 

 

The Credit Café Workshop also includes continuous support to participants following their initial workshop attendance. While the advisor is available as needed to the participant, the advisor will follow up via email, call or text based on participant’s preference to check in at 3 and 6 months. These check-ins are to make sure the participant has everything they need to continue their credit journey and checking in on progress made. Participants are then invited to return for a second advising session and updated copy of their credit report. 


The Credit Café Workshop currently is 100% virtual with some hybrid options becoming available. In addition, IHA provides interpretation services to all those we serve at no cost to the participant. Interpreters are available on-demand and around the clock in more than 240 languages. 

 

How to Donate? 

There are two ways to donate: 

  1. Visit this website: https://igfn.us/vf/Unity2023/team/InterfaithHousingAllian14 
  2. Text Unity202337 to 71777 

 

The Unity Campaign for Frederick County will be highly advertised to bring awareness to the campaign, and it’s associated nonprofits from March 8 – 19, 2023. However, you can donate now if you do not want to wait! 



Can’t donate? No problem, please help spread the word about IHA’s Unity Campaign participation! 

 

Interested in the Credit Café Workshop? 

Contact Lacy Ames at lames@interfaithhousing.org or text 301-818-5606 to get started today! 


Gary Free resident at Residences at Railroad Square Apartments

March 3, 2025
Gary Free grew up in Brunswick, MD. The first time he saw the Residences at Railroad Square, he knew he would love to live in the apartments. Now all he can think to himself is, “I am living here!” Gary said the day he signed his lease he was so happy! He has a picture hanging in his apartment that says, “You’re Home.” Gary looks at it often and says to himself, “I am!” He finally feels at peace. Gary feels his home is nice! He also feels one of the ways of living at Residences of Railroad Square is that he now has everything he ever wanted, asked for and needed. The only thing he feels is a concern is that most of the time he gets lonely. His goal is to try to meet people. He says, “I’m a very friendly person.” Gary says his experience living at the Residences at Railroad Square has been rather good. If he has any concerns he can talk to the office staff. He feels it can’t get any better than this!

Lease-up of Residence of Railroad Square

By Crystal Thomas • March 3, 2025
With excitement and anticipation, I watched the groundbreaking on June 29, 2023, with my assistant Vickie and IHA’s Supportive Services coordinator, Sandi. By the middle of September 2023 concrete walls were being set up. We watched as the roof was completed; then the windows and doors were installed. We impatiently waited for the day we received permission to see the inside of the Residences of Railroad Square property. Finally, on September 25, 2024, we had the privilege to tour the inside of this beautiful property. On the weekend of September 27, 2024, the IHA property management team along with the CEO Jodie, held a two-day in-person application event. The owners of First Stop Brunswick generously donated their space at 2. E. Baltimore Street. That lease up kick off generated 56 applications. Over the next three months, ninety more applications were submitted. Each applicant came with their own story which stirred our hearts. No matter how different their stories may have been, they all had the same wish, a place to call home for Christmas! On November 5, 2024, the first resident signed their lease and on December 23, 2024, the last empty unit was filled! Not only were we able to fulfill these residents' Christmas wishes but it also filled our hearts with joy!

Interfaith Housing Alliance (IHA) is proud to announce 4 funding awards received this quarter from community partners.

March 3, 2025
In November 2024, IHA was awarded a $20,000 grant from Delaplaine Foundation, Inc. This grant supports IHA’s three workshop series: Credit Café ; Financial Freedom Bootcamp ; and Ready, Set, Go… Home! In Credit Café, participants work specifically on improving their credit. Financial Freedom Bootcamp builds critical foundational skills for financial success. Ready, Set, Go… Home! walks participants through the entire homebuying process from start to finish. IHA also received a $1,574.37 designated grant from The PNC Homeownership Fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. These pass-through funds will directly support low- to moderate-income (LMI) households in achieving homeownership in Frederick County. In December 2024, IHA was awarded a $29,498 grant from the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust (MAHT). MAHT is administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) through the Division of Neighborhood Revitalization. This grant program is a valuable resource for the advancement of affordable housing initiatives and will provide operational assistance to IHA’s affordable multifamily community in Cumberland, MD. In January 2025, IHA was awarded a $2,500 grant by The Natelli Communities Charitable Fund of The Community Foundation of Frederick County. These unrestricted funds will support IHA’s work across the multiple counties served by our programs and affordable rental communities.
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