Kate Hengy-Gretz with the LSS Crisis Nursery in Mankato appeared on Radio Mankato to talk about the work of the Crisis Nursery and how the community can help.
Shannon Doyle, financial education program manager with LSS Financial Counseling, talked with Pam Lundell on KTIS Radio's Community Spotlight program about the wide range of services available, including Debt Management Plans -- an effective way to tackle credit card debt -- as well as identity theft prevention strategies. Check it out!
Shannon Doyle with LSS Financial Counseling appeared on MPR News with Angela Davis with Chris Farrell, nationally-acclaimed personal finance expert and MPR Senior economics contributor, to talk about emotional spending: why we do it and how to take control of it. Check it out!
The Greater Pine Island Alliance, a nonprofit organization focused on Hurricane Ian recovery efforts, hosted a free spring break camp in March designed to support elementary school-aged children from Greater Pine Island and Matlacha who have been affected by disaster.
Charlie Korinta, a life-long resident of Detroit Lakes, is going on 27 years as a Senior Companion volunteer through Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS), serving as a friendly visitor to older adults in the community to help them remain healthy and living independently.
About half of all credit card users are not sure what the interest rates are on their credit cards, according to CreditCards.com. Shannon Doyle, financial educator with LSS Financial Counseling, shared that the Annual Percentage Rate on your credit card is an important number to know because it can significantly impact your financial wellbeing, especially over time. She appeared on WATW Radio in Ashland, Wisconsin to inform listeners on strategies to avoid the high cost of credit.
Currently, the average interest on a bank credit card rate is 21.5 percent, according to the Federal Reserve — the highest interest rate ever recorded by this organization. That means, if you are carrying a $6,000 balance on a credit card from month to month, you are paying about $107 in interest each month, which totals about $1,284 per year, depending how your credit card company handles compound interest. Learn how you can avoid the high cost of credit.
In the February 23 Star Tribune online story on increasing consumer debt, Dan Park with LSS Financial Counseling said that fewer people were making appointments for financial counseling during the pandemic due to the pause in federal student loan payments, banks implementing temporary forbearance plans and stimulus checks. Now that those programs have ended, LSS financial counselors are busy.
Rosa cares for her three children while juggling a full-time job. “Hundred percent struggling, to be completely honest,” she said. The single mom turned to the Mankato Area Crisis Nursery. It’s a free emergency childcare program through Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota offering support in Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Nicollet and Waseca counties. Read the story here.
