ELKINS — The Randolph County Housing Authority is currently offering a new program through its Financial Opportunity Center that helps individuals and families overcome the unique challenges they face every day.

“For people who are in financial hardships, or don’t understand what credit is or how credit can affect their lives, we have a program where we work with families to help them become financially stable,” Jennifer Griggs, grants and program manager for the RCHA, told The Inter-Mountain Thursday.

“We offer not only financial assistance coaching on credit, budgeting and balance sheet, but we also offer employment services and income support services. So if someone is in the need of any social services, such as rental assistance or qualifying for SNAP benefits, we can assist them through that process.”

The RCHA has broken the program into three separate categories — financial, income support, and employment.

The financial portion of the program includes saving techniques, building credit, and creating a household budget.

Income support has to do with receiving help with navigating available social services and agencies.

With employment, individuals will be given access to education and training, learn job searching strategies and interview skills, and meet with potential employers.

“With our work program we will assist people with finding employment and upgrading their resume, so they can increase their employment opportunities,” Griggs said. “We want people to achieve their goals, so that might include looking into home ownership where we will talk about how to start saving or increasing employment for that. We may also teach them how to potentially save for a car or to maybe even save for a family vacation.”

The program is free of charge to anyone interested in taking part in all or just some of the services offered at the Financial Opportunity Center. The program is available to residents of Randolph, Tucker, Barbour, Lewis, Upshur and Webster counties.

“You can be someone who is going to school, you can be a senior on fixed income, or a family who has poor credit — the program is not income eligible so it’s really for anybody who is struggling financially and wants to take control of their financial situation,” Griggs said. “With the impact of COVID, unemployment and costs going up, we think now is a great time for people to come and speak with us so that they can achieve their goals.”

To sign up or obtain more information about the program, call the RCHD at 304-636-6495 (ext 30).