At the Center for Changing Lives, Digital Skills and Financial Opportunity Go Hand in Hand

For over 35 years, the Center for Changing Lives (CCL) has worked to connect Chicagoans to financial services that will, well, change their lives. CCL operates in four main categories of work: 1) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing counseling and financial coaching, 2) employment coaching and digital literacy, 3) resource development coaching, and 4) small business coaching. A financial opportunity center, CCL partners with those held back by lack of resources and economic opportunity to uncover possibilities, overcome barriers, and realize their potential. “We're looking at a number of different things in tandem,” says Julio Pensamiento, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Team Lead for Resource Development & Outreach at CCL. “We're looking at a person's financial situation, their housing situation, their employment status, and also what resources they have available to them.” The bilingual, bicultural nonprofit has a decades-long commitment to uplifting the residents of Chicago’s West Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Avondale, and Belmont Cragin neighborhoods. CCL knows that the solutions to community members' problems look different for every person who walks through the door. This adaptability and commitment to care spurred CCL to get involved in digital equity work as it has always been a part of its mission of building a community where everyone thrives.