A CSS Yurt on a rainy cold December afternoon in West Eugene may not be a place you would expect to find two Eugene area bank branch managers enrolling new depositors. Even more remarkable is the effort and journey that brought them there. The story begins earlier this year when Downtown Eugene KeyBank Branch Manager Michelle Khanthanhot reached out to Blake Burrell, CSS Director of Community Impact. What ensued is a focused grassroots effort by Michelle and another KeyBank Eugene Branch Manager Jose Contreras to educate the CSS community about financial health and planning. “For KeyBank it is important that we are involved in our community,” says Michelle. “Blake and I connected and it has just kind of evolved in the last 6 months.”
Over the course of the summer Michelle and Jose presented to the CSS staff and also visited most of the CSS communities, where they introduced themselves and had discussions as part of regularly scheduled Enrichment Hours. CSS Program Coordinator Anna notes that financial literacy is one of the key elements of the social determinants of health, as defined by the World Health Organization. Anna applauds the effort that Michelle and Jose are making to connect with CSS clients. “They were not only willing to make a one-time community-wide presentation but to go out and do the relational work to every site. These people are amazing!”
The participation from clients has varied from site to site. “There’s always a stigma with banks,” says Jose, “but there have been a couple locations where we gained people’s trust and they ask us questions.” They also have conversations with community members to understand what kinds of issues are of interest. “We become engaged with everybody and it’s not just us talking. We try to get full involvement so it’s something everybody can participate in and contribute,” says Jose.
It isn’t clear what percentage of CSS clients currently have any type of regular banking relationships. Anna observes that some may have institutional trauma from past experiences. However, establishing some type of financial security is crucial to the step of moving on to sustainable housing. Michelle emphasizes the importance of the financial piece. “At some point they [CSS clients] are going to move on to affordable housing,” she says. “They are going to have some form of income whether a job, disability, or social security.” For Michelle and Jose it is important that they can provide guidance to make that transition possible.
The banking clinic held on December 12 in the CSS yurt on Grant Street is just one step in what Michelle and Jose envision is an ongoing relationship. Michelle and Jose used that time to set up accounts for a number of CSS clients. Anna praised them for making a process that could be logistically or emotionally difficult for some much easier. “This is the opportunity to be around others and hear the financial language maybe you’re not familiar with. And maybe you’re not ready to move on it yet, but with time if it’s something that is suitable it makes it that much easier.”
For their part, Michelle and Jose plan to continue their face-to-face outreach and education at the various CSS community sites. They say KeyBank focuses on personal relationships, which they hope to build over time. Michelle says that the goal is to build those relationships and trust as a resource to the CSS community. “We aren’t going out with the intent to sell a product or service.”
Jose reflects on what this opportunity with CSS has meant. “For me personally, I want to show what we can do with Community Supported Shelters and emphasize the importance of financial aspects so that other organizations see what good it has been doing to CSS and they can also join in.”
“We are trying to help people out so that people can be financially stable,” he says.
Anna marvels at the effort that Michelle and Jose have brought to their relationship with CSS. “They are social workers in bankers’ clothing.”
