Helping a Retired Civil Servant to Help Her Family

“The Economic Justice Fund is a reputable company with great communication. They gave me a second chance and could also provide one to you. I give them a ten out of ten!”
DEBRA

For nearly three decades, Debra worked as a dedicated civil servant in the Law Offices of the Public Defender for San Bernardino County. Throughout her professional career, Debra was helping others through stressful situations and challenging times. Unfortunately, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with difficult personal times for her own family. Debra’s mother became terminally ill and could no longer serve as the guardian and caretaker for Debra’s sister with Down syndrome.

One of the final wishes from Debra’s mom was that her sister with Down syndrome not be placed into a group home or facility. Debra welcomed her sister into her home with open arms and assumed all caretaking responsibilities. This was challenging during the pandemic because the daytime development programs for her sister were forced to close. Therefore, Debra decided that retiring a few years early was the best option for caring for her sister.

The early retirement impacted Debra’s finances, and at the same time, she was going through a divorce that left her with a joint debt. This debt was compounding interest daily at a high rate, and she could not pay off the total debt. Debra began looking for help through a personal loan, but even when other lenders approved her for financing, they only offered high-interest-rate loans with exorbitant fees.

Fortunately, Debra’s daughter told her about the Economic Justice Fund (EJF) and encouraged her to submit a loan application. She applied and promptly received a phone call from a staff member to discuss her application. As a mission-driven lender, EJF carefully evaluated Debra’s overall financial situation and her dedicated career as a civil servant. The loan was quickly approved with a low, fixed-interest rate, no fees, and no collateral.

With the funds from her EJF loan, Debra paid off her high-interest debt and now keeps more of her retirement income every month. Most importantly, Debra’s financial hardship has been resolved, and she is enjoying more time with her family and caring for her sister. And, justifying EJF’s faith in her character, she has made every loan payment on time.