Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

To Local Workers At Closed Prescott Manufacturing Plant

Workers who lost their jobs when Prescott Manufacturing closed its doors last week can get help.

Through the Governor's Displaced Worker Task Force, these people can receive assistance through the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) and the Family Service Agency (FSA).

According to Elissa Gross, director of education for the FSA, the workers can get free, confidential help with how to budget their money, credit, debt and housing counseling as well. These services, she said, are available to individuals and families regardless of their financial levels.

The CCCS is a non-profit organization funded by the United Way of Pulaski County, and is based in North Little Rock.

Gross said the CCCS helps people plan budgets and gives them tips on how to stick with them.

Anyone interested can call the toll-free number, 1-800-225-2227, and ask for a form. Once the form is filled out and returned, the CCCS will literally prepare a budget for the person or family based on this information.

Once they get the budget back, they need to contact the agency and talk with a counselor, all at no cost to the individual or family.

While the CCCS does not pay people's bills for them, it does have a method of debt repayment the troubled people can take advantage of.

Gross said the CCCS will, with permission, negotiate with a person or family's creditors on unsecured bills, to get the monthly payments lowered. This, she said, is not a form of bankruptcy.

The debtor(s), once the negotiations have been settled, make a monthly payment to the CCCS, and the agency, in turn, makes sure the creditors are paid.

There is an administrative fee for this service, she said. To help the CCCS cover its costs, clients are charged 5 percent of their monthly payment, with a ceiling of $20 per month.

The agency is also funded by the Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and can provide housing counseling at no charge as well.

This program, Gross said, is specifically designed to address situations where people may default on their mortgages or get behind in their rent.

Again, anyone interested needs to call the toll-free number listed above and ask for the proper forms.

In addition, the CCCS conducts statewide consumer education programs, offering speakers, workshops, audio- visual assistance and consultation on topics which are consumer related. These topics include budget planning, first time homebuying, managing debt, shopping for credit, budgeting for food and buying vehicles.