Asha Franklin – Sharing Knowledge for the Betterment of the Community

The phrase stems from an African proverb that originated in the U.S. during slavery when enslaved people were denied education. The idea is that whenever someone learned how to read or write, it was their responsibility to teach someone else.

As an active mom of five, wife and involved community member in her home of Macon, Georgia, Asha is committed to spreading knowledge for the betterment of the larger community.

Part of Client Success Stories

Asha’s GreenPath career path began as a receptionist at the affiliate Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Middle Georgia. In that role she had a first-hand seat watching clients connect with the trusted nonprofit to pay debt off faster, save money on fees and interest, and make progress toward financial fitness.

“One of my more memorable days in that role was when I watched one client who had successfully finished their debt management plan literally dance out the door to their car. She was so excited, so relieved and so joyful – I wanted to be part of that success story.”

A co-worker encouraged Asha to begin her tenure in client services. As a financial counselor, Asha notes, “That was the chance for me to make a difference to my community from start to finish, encouraging and teaching those to understand what it takes to manage their financial health.”

Closing the Information Gap

We all make the best decisions we can with the information we have available to us. Asha sees her role as a financial counselor as one who gets more information into the hands of people who might be struggling with credit card debt, collections or medical debt, or facing problems keeping up with housing payments.

Asha Adds, “For many, it’s a feeling of shame or embarrassment when they find themselves in this situation. It’s important to reassure and encourage – many people experience the same issues. The best path is not to look back but look forward and put into place strategies that can help.

“Even throughout the pandemic when we adapted our services for our community and employees, we stayed true to our goal of connecting people with information so they can make strong financial decisions about their future.”

The Power of Information

For Asha, a recent phone counseling session illustrates the importance of setting people up to understand their options and make informed decisions.

“A recent caller contacted us for guidance about her delinquent mortgage. It was a scary time for her. She has a medical disability along with unexpected financial challenges and she was so nervous she was going to lose her home. She was especially nervous about all the new terms she had to sort through – like figuring out what a loan servicer is or understanding terms like “loan modification,” “retention options” and other financial concepts.

“I was glad to take the time to understand her full financial picture, walk her through the process, and eventually get on a call with her to speak with her loan servicer to understand next steps.”

In her new management role, Asha will carry forth the concept of “Each One, Teach One” by sharing the knowledge she’s gained over the past 15 years as she leads and develops her team. Asha looks forward to more chances to connect key information with those seeking a path to financial health and wellness.