Team Reflections As GreenPath Turns 60
- August 23, 2021
- By: Greenpath Financial Wellness
As we celebrate GreenPath’s founding in 1961, we’re sharing team reflections on turning 60.
From our beginnings in 1961 as part of a regional credit union, to today as one of the largest, most trusted national nonprofits focused on financial wellness for everyone, it’s a great time to reflect.
We’re proud that people have turned to GreenPath for more than 60 years as their guide to navigate debt, foreclosure, bankruptcy, or credit challenges.
Noted below are additional reflections by GreenPath team members as we honor 60 years of empowering people to lead financially healthy lives.
Dawn – Partner Experience Manager
“When I started as a financial counselor 30 years ago, we manually handled most of the work. I recall we used carbon copy worksheets during the counseling session, and we had ledgers to track deposits and disbursement manually. When we would due a “check run,” we manually entered the payments into the computer, printed, stuffed them into envelopes, and placed a stamp on them.
I recall we shared a copy machine with the credit union office we shared.
With all the automated efficiencies we use today, we are able to serve many more clients with financial counseling. We also team with clients to truly empower them. Today, our clients are more involved in the entire process, and in turn are leaving with more financial education, understanding and owning their success.
It’s been great to see GreenPath invest in growth and the future so we can empower more people to build financial resiliency.”
Rick — Chief Business Development Officer
“Over the decades, GreenPath has evolved to scale our services and reach more people. When I started in 1996, all counseling was face-to-face and we had offices in only a few states. People had to schedule an appointment and take time off work to sit down and meet with us. To make financial counseling available to more people, we became licensed nationally and added phone counseling on-demand to eliminate the need for an appointment. And, with our phone counseling, we managed to replicate the personal, intimate experience of a face-to-face session.
In the early 2000s, there were some bad actors in credit counseling that led to a black eye for the entire industry. Through it all, GreenPath stayed clean and true to our mission.
In an effort to differentiate ourselves from the negative images of credit counseling, I led a project that changed our name from Credit Counseling Centers to GreenPath. Clients and partners embraced the new name, and we haven’t looked back.”
Looking to the Next 60 Years
As one of the first agencies approved by HUD to conduct financial counseling services, and one of the first agencies approved by the Department of Justice to provide bankruptcy and education services. GreenPath stands ready to serve in the decades ahead.
Watch for more reflections on our 60-year anniversary in upcoming blog posts.