THE Cambridge Connection - Episode 15

Yeah. And it’s just out of respect for everyone else. Once it was brought up, everyone respected everybody else’s decisions. And yeah, we’re going to do it. So let me tell you, for me, I’m one year away, I believe, from actually having a Santa beard.

Yeah, I’d give you about two or three. Two or three, you think? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Well, I’m going to make it work somehow.

And I think I’m going to have to skip No Shave November because I’ll obviously need to get it long enough so it actually looks like Santa’s beard. Well, you might have to do No Shave 2022. Oof, that could be rough. Last minute shopping, I got to give you my update because I’m terrible at shopping. The online phenomenon has actually helped me tremendously.

But still, every year on Christmas Eve, I go to the mall with a couple of friends. And then one of us stays with the gifts, one goes out shopping. The other one comes back, then the other one goes out shopping. So I’ll be doing that every year because I’m just not that good at planning and shopping. You know, we’re obviously coming into the new year.

Sponsor thanks and show transition

And I just want to tell you how thankful I am to have you as my co-pilot for the good work we’re trying to do to help people with financial empowerment. So thank you for joining me every week and thanks for being incredible. Thank you for having me, Gordon. It’s my pleasure. Coming up, we have some guests joining us that have been on the show in the past to talk a little bit about some holiday plans, holiday cheer, and some things about their organizations or services that they’re going to be doing in the new year.

This is Gordon Oliver with The Cambridge Connection, right here on WHMP. Hi everyone, Christopher Viale here. As president of Cambridge Credit Counseling, I’m excited to share that we’ve just celebrated our 25th anniversary. And through two major recessions and the pandemic, we’ve helped millions of consumers and families like yours regain control of their finances and pay down your debt safely and responsibly. My dedicated staff work so hard for our clients.

Guest talks about Dress for Success

Remember, the call is free. 1-800-CAMBRIDGE Welcome back. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone. I’m here with my co-pilot, Tina Marie, and we have some special friends joining us for the holidays to talk a little bit about what their plans are. They’ve been on the show in the past and what their organizations are looking forward to in 2022.

It’s exciting to see what’s coming up. It’s a lot of fun. Welcome to the show, Margaret. Thank you for the opportunity to come on. It’s holiday season and we’re all full of holiday cheer here.

And obviously, you’re very grateful that we’re talking with you. So can you tell us a little bit about your holiday plans? So our holiday plans are just to spend with friends and family. I mean, it’s been an incredible year and looking to what we value most, which is our relationship. So for those of you that don’t know, Margaret is the executive director for Dress for Success, an amazing, amazing organization.

Can you tell us some of the plans that you might have going into 2022 for your organization? Yeah, we’ve had incredible growth this last year. And of course, unfortunately, that comes out of need. We serve low-income women and help them gain economic independence. So next year, our major fundraising event, Common Threads, scheduled for March 24th, is going to be...

We’re expecting that to grow and increase and hope people will join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our women on that day. Again, we just continue next year to do the good work we’re doing and sustain and make sure that we’re helping women the best we can. Well, in an effort to help with that fundraiser and make sure people know about it, can you give our listeners a way to get to understand what the fundraiser is about and how they can sign up to help? Absolutely. You can certainly call Dress for Success Western Mass if you’re interested in being a part of the event.

That you can do by phoning 413-732-8179. org. Awesome. And lastly, do you have any advice for women that might need your services? Yes, absolutely.

My advice is just to reach out. We help people in a variety of ways. People mostly know us for providing clothing, which we do, but we also provide five other programs from digital literacy to workforce development. And even if we don’t have the right program for you, we collaborate with so many other social services that we can refer you and make sure that you get the support that you need. So please don’t hesitate to call.

Margaret, thank you so much for all the work that you do. Merry Christmas to you, your staff, your family, and your friends. Happy holidays to you as well. Thank you. We’re going to take a short break.

Break and guest from Junior Achievement

We’ll be right back. I’m Jordan Oliver with The Cambridge Connection. Hi, everyone. This is Christopher Viale, President of Cambridge Credit Counseling. The holidays are a wonderful time of the year, but they can also put extra financial pressure on people who are already working.

It’s hard to make ends meet. If you need help making a plan to deal with holiday bills, Cambridge’s counseling is free, and there’s no obligation to enroll as a client. And if your concerns go beyond our expertise, we work with lots of other great businesses and service providers to help you get to where you need to be. If you need financial help, Cambridge and our friends will help you find solutions. Call us today at 1-800-CAMBRIDGE.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, Jennifer. We’re glad to have you on the show. Merry Christmas. Thank you so much. And for our listeners, Jennifer Connelly is the president of Junior Achievement of Western Massachusetts.

And Jennifer, we’re going to get into some holiday fun here, but for our listeners, could you tell them a little bit about what JA does? Junior Achievement is a program that we actually started here in Springfield, Mass in 1919 and still holds true to the same mission, bringing people together from the business and the community to teach young people K to 12 about personal finance, about entrepreneurship, and to explore career opportunities here in Western Mass. Just truly, again, we’re so grateful on this show for the guests that we’ve had, the work that you do. Cambridge Credit Counseling counsels people that have debt problems. So the groundwork that you do from K to 12 is so important to try to get young adults to start their life off financially prosperous and financially well.

Thank you. Thank you. We enjoy doing it, and we have a lot of supporters that help us get that message out, like you. You guys do a great job with our reality fairs and being able to explain credit when they bring you their budgets. So thank you very much.

Thank you. Do you have anything that you would like to announce as far as upcoming events or fundraisers or anything that’s coming down the pike at 22? Absolutely. We’re starting off the year with a big new project with Putnam Vocational, their business information program at Putnam Vocational in Springfield. We got them all the equipment in.

They’re going to start podcasting financial literacy programs for younger students. They’re going to talk to them about problems, what kind of questions the students might have, things that they’ve experienced. They’re hoping to expand out into maybe talking about careers. They do the Antoine Penua Challenge, which we have coming up in the spring where students form companies. And they have like a trade fair, and they show off their products, and then they compete for prizes and scholarships.

So it’s going to be kind of eye-opening, kind of getting the students involved. They’re like what we call our high school heroes. These are young high school students who give back to their community by teaching financial literacy to younger students. It’s such a necessity nowadays as well. It’s such a necessity because it’s things that aren’t necessarily taught in the regular school system or even at home.

A lot of consumers don’t want to burden their kids with their financial situations and don’t want to talk about it. So that’s great. I think that’s fabulous that students are teaching students. Absolutely. I think they learn in a different way when they’re taught by the students because by the older students, there’s a respect level there.

And sometimes as they get a little older, like the middle school, there’s a middle school right across from Putnam, the students are seen as not having the, oh, you’re a parent. You’re just telling me this. It’s kind of like, oh, this is really what you’re learning. I could learn this and I could do this. Right.

It’s not pounding something into you as your mother or father might. Yeah, I actually, Jennifer, I actually would like to thank you for having me on for that career day where we could talk a little bit about my path, my career. That was really fun. And if there’s any opportunity for Tina Marie or I to be a guest on that podcast as they’re getting it off the ground, we would love to do that. Oh, that would be great.

Absolutely. We really want to invite you and people to help the students develop their podcasts because this is brand new. I mean, this is not only are they giving back, but they’re also learning another trade, another career pathway that could be very successful for them in the future. Awesome. Again, can’t wait.

Sign us up. You let us know. Absolutely. We’ll be there for sure. So holidays, what are your plans?

Hopefully, I’m getting, I’ll spend the holidays here with my daughters and grandchildren and then go to Maine and get to see my granddaughter that lives in Maine and my son and my friends. So just to have, get relaxed. Not work is my biggest thing. Who’s doing the cooking, Jennifer? I’m the cookie baker.

I’m just starting. And my grandsons like to help me bake the cookies, but they don’t necessarily like to eat them. Wow. My youngest one goes, I’ll try it. So he tries this little piece about as big as your thumbnail, and he’s walking around, he’s tasting it, and he comes back in the kitchen.

He goes, nope, don’t like it. He goes, don’t worry. He goes, don’t worry. Sometimes you follow the recipe and just bad things happen. Oh, man.

Well, you can sign us up for that, too. We’ll be there. Kids will tell the truth. That’s for sure. You know, you got to love them.

They bring you right back down. Oh, yeah. So again, thank you so much for the work that you do, the work that JA does, and we are looking forward to having you back on the show in 2022 as we work on people. I’m sure plenty of folks out there are setting new financial goals, and it’ll be really good to have you on to talk about some of these projects that are going on and, again, what you’re doing to try to prepare our youth for financial wellness. Well, thank you very much for having me, and have a safe and happy holidays.

Enjoy your holidays as well. Merry Christmas, happy holidays. Thanks. Bye-bye. We’re going to take a short break.

Cohost banter and show promo

We’ll be right back. This is Gordon Oliver with The Cambridge Connection. You know, Gordy, I was thinking, now that it’s just you and me hosting The Cambridge Connection each week, we’re sort of like, I don’t know, one of those famous radio teams. You know who I mean. You mean like Bonnie and Clyde?

We aren’t that famous yet, but what we get to share every week with our listeners is expert knowledge from a community of people who are making a difference every day by helping others achieve financial independence and freedom. And that includes your day job as a rockstar counselor at Cambridge Credit Counseling. One of the reasons I love being a part of The Cambridge Connection is that we have the opportunity to share real stories of people and organizations that make a difference across all aspects of financial wellness. And we also get to share stories of real people with real financial problems and offer possible options they can follow to turn a negative financial situation into a positive one, because everyone’s situation is different. So folks, join myself, Tina Marie, and our special guests and experts each and every week right here on The Cambridge Connection on WHMP.

Guest interview with Cambridge Credit Counseling president

Welcome back. Ho, ho, ho, and Merry Christmas to our listeners, family members, and friends. I’m here with my co-pilot, Tina Marie. Let’s jump back in on our holiday show. We are having a tremendous amount of fun today, are we not, Tina Marie?

We always have a tremendous amount of fun. Absolutely. We are now joined by special guest, Christopher Vialli, president of The Cambridge Connection. President and CEO of Cambridge Credit Counseling. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, Christopher.

Happy holidays, my friend. Happy holidays. Thank you. Thank you. So it’s really great to have you on the show.

And just before we get into a few things, I want to tell you how grateful we are that Cambridge is the sponsor of this program. The information that we provide is so important. We’ve had some incredible guests on with incredible information. And I just personally cannot thank you enough for sponsoring the show. It’s our absolute pleasure to see your vision through.

We’re fully supportive. It’s a great show. And with my co-pilot, Tina Marie, we’re really doing some great things. So thank you so much. And having fun while doing so.

That’s important. We only live once. There you go. So, Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color? Pink.

Pink it is. All right. So, Christopher, can you, just for our listeners, just give a brief overview of what Cambridge Credit Counseling does? Sure. Thanks, Gordy.

We’re a nonprofit national agency that helps people struggling with credit card debt, struggling to repay their student loans, struggling to deal with their mortgage payments, their rent payments. Basically, if someone is dealing with debts and they’re stressed about it, we can help. And that’s what our counselors do every day. We help millions of consumers around the country navigate their financial issues and come out the other side better for it. That’s the work that we do.

We love what we do. That pretty much sums it up. 25 plus years helping people around the world, around the country. Absolutely. Nationwide, Cambridge Credit Counseling is available.

And if anybody needs help, 1-800-CAMBRIDGE is the number to call. Let’s get into some real important stuff, Christopher. What are you doing for the holidays? I’m going to hang with the family. This is going to be a lay low, especially with some of the COVID issues that are out there.

My mother-in-law is coming up to visit with us and we’re just going to gain a few pounds, watch some football and have some fun. That’s awesome. Do you have any traditions that you’re currently carrying out during the holidays? No, you know, no, not really. As you know, part time I’m a bowler.

That’s part of what I do as a hobby. And generally around the holidays, there’s a lot of bowling that we do. This year, no, we’re just laying low and just going to hang with the family. Who’s doing the cooking, Chris? I do the cooking.

You? Oh, I know Amy’s a pretty good cook, but I’m impressed. I think they both are. We’ve witnessed that time and time again. I agree.

Yeah, we definitely share on that, but for the most part, I do most of the holiday cooking. What are you making? We are doing a crown roast this year, all the normal trimming, but we’ll have some seafood, you know, Christmas Eve and different, you know, Christmas Day before the big meal. Nice, nice. And just so I can, for our listeners, Chris is not just a part time bowler.

He is one of the best bowlers around. He’s been doing it for years. I’ve competed with him and he truly is one of the best bowlers in the area. Thanks, Gordy. Thanks.

So when he- I’m old now. I’m a senior, so I get to compete against the old guy, the young guy. Did you ask Santa for any special bowling balls? No, I’m covered there. I’ve got 900 globals in my backyard and they provide me all the balls I need for sure.

Whoa, impressive. Feel free to look up on the internet, Christopher Viale Bowling, and you’ll see some interesting stuff out there of how he competes. So Chris, what time can I come over Christmas Eve for seafood? That, you can stop by around noon to about four. Okay.

Okay, good to know. So Christopher, for the holidays and the new year, what are some goals and plans for Cambridge? So anyone who’s struggling with their mortgage payment or their rent payments can contact us, go through sessions, work with our team, develop a plan to navigate those challenges. And it’s free to the consumer. The government is supporting all of these efforts to stabilize home ownership throughout the country.

And we’re just very fortunate to be one of the grantees in this process. So we’re privileged, we’re excited, and we’re ramping up the staff to be able to handle this next year. Absolutely deserving. The organization is incredible. You do such great work and we appreciate it.

And we’re not going to let the Grinch steal Christmas. We’re not going to let Ebenezer Scrooge ruin our moods, but we do know some financial times in 2022, there’s some hard times coming. So again, can’t thank you enough for all the work you do for sponsoring the show and doing everything you can to get this information out for consumers that may be struggling. Yeah. I mean, that’s the important thing, right, Gordon?

And Tina, there are too many scams out there. There are too many for-profit companies that are looking to prey on the public. And in 2022, especially coming to the end of the first quarter into the second quarter, it’s going to be tough for people. With inflation at the rate that, with all the moratoriums of payments not having to be made or all going to expire, all the tax credit free money that’s been coming out off the table, now people are going to have to deal with their situations right in front of them. And it’s going to come quick.

So, you know, I can’t urge people enough to make sure you contact the non-profit companies if you’re struggling with any debt issues, because we do have your best interest in mind. Absolutely. And through our producers of the show, Leah and Lisa, we are not going to be doom and gloom. We’re going to be very uplifting and very educational to try to get people to be able to deal with this situation. So again, can’t thank you enough for all the work that you do and for trusting and sponsoring the show.

We really appreciate it. You got it. It’s my pleasure, man. I’ll see you the 24th, Chris. I will see you as well.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, Christopher. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Stay tuned.

Upcoming show promo

We’ll be right back with the Cambridge Credit Success Moments for the holidays. Hey, everyone. Gordon Oliver here. And you probably know me as the host of the Saturday morning show, The Cambridge Connection here on WHMP. , we spend 28 minutes together that will empower and educate you about financial wellness and connecting with organizations that are available to help you through any financial challenge.

So please join me next Saturday right here on The Cambridge Connection on WHMP. Understanding financial intentions is one of the best ways to achieve financial wellness in the new year. m. here on WHMP. Welcome back.

Client success story segment

Merry Christmas. Happy holidays to everyone again. And we couldn’t possibly call this a holiday show if we weren’t able to share a success story. So right now with my co-pilot, Tina Marie, we’re going to talk about the Cambridge Credit Success Moment. Tina Marie, what do you got for us today?

Well, today I’m excited to talk about Paula from Florida. Like many Americans or like many consumers, I should say, she lost hours at work due to COVID. She was actually in the restaurant business. She worked as a server and bartender. Once the restaurant closed, she was simply out of work but was able to actually survive off the stimulus checks.

She was able to stay afloat. Actually the restaurant was able to reopen, thank God, but she was back to work but making less money. And then the stimulus ran out. So she found herself in debt, used some credit cards just to simply help get by. It was $5,130.

15%. I was able to navigate through a budget with her and with the relationships that we do have with the credit card companies, we were able to reduce her payment down to $157 a month. She then was able to save $125 a month and her payoff period was 47 payments. So she’s still making payments, but she’s saving $125 a month and business is starting to come back again. So she’s, you know, she’s making a little bit more.

I think I know a lot of people working in the restaurant industry and there are consumers out there that appreciate those that are in the industry. And they are tipping a little bit more now because they understand without these people, what else? I think once when COVID hit and the restaurants closed down, it was traumatic for everybody. You know, you don’t realize how much you appreciate your server or your bartender until you don’t have them anymore. So always tip your servers and bartenders.

Yeah. So for our listeners, very important to understand the process. And this is why this is an uplifting show. This is not doom and gloom. If you have a situation where you’re overwhelmed by debt and you have a tight budget and you feel like you have more going out that’s coming in.

It’s encouraging to be able to talk to a counselor like yourself to go through the process and learn what the options are. We talk about this all the time. It’s about demystifying what the options are. So speaking with a certified counselor, you go through a budget process to see what the income and expenses are, right? Absolutely.

Then you take a look at all the debts that a consumer has so that they’re either on the budget or something that you’re going to look at offering them a program or a benefit with. Everybody’s an individual situation. So we treat everybody individually. You’re absolutely correct. We go through everything.

Again, I’ve said this before, one person’s situation is not the same as the other. One person’s priorities may not be the same as the others, but that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to dig in, look and see what’s best for you. What is the best option that fits your situation? We had Christopher Viale on for the holiday show today, and he had mentioned it’s about consumer protection, not making mistakes because you’re desperate or you feel like you have to make a quick decision.

When you speak to a certified counselor at Cambridge, you just go through the options. And at the end, correct me if I’m wrong, an action plan is sent with a budget. So the worst that someone’s going to walk away with is a budget to work on for 2022? Absolutely. And of course, knowing what the solutions are and some actions that a consumer can take to improve the situation.

Everything is sent to the consumer in writing so that the consumer has the ability to take time and review everything that we go over. It can be overwhelming, and we understand that. So we let them know, look through it, call with any questions. And it’s just, once again, a very, very rewarding job. Yeah, next week’s show, we’re going to talk about intentions.

And I know people are making goals because that’s what you do in a new year. You try to start fresh or start some different directions. And this is certainly going to be one that we’re going to talk about. Intentions are fabulous. It’s following through.

Again, we love sharing success every show that we can. So thank you again for bringing that story. It’s great to hear, especially there’s a lot of residual things from the pandemic that are starting to come out now. So thank you for sharing that. My pleasure.

Closing holiday remarks

My pleasure, as always. Well, Tina Marie, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. This is our holiday show. And unfortunately, we’re just about out of time. Happy holidays to you, your family, friends and all of our listeners.

As I mentioned, next week, we start the new year with our first intention show, because by setting financial intentions, you’ve got a better chance of achieving your financial goals in 2022 and beyond. And remember, it’s always a free call to 1-800-CAMBRIDGE.