Haven Empowers Woman to Regain Stability After Unexpected Financial Setback
Beverly Roberts found herself on an unexpected rough financial path later in life. When several of her tenants were unable to make their rent payments, she in turn became unable to pay all of her bills.
That’s when Beverly discovered Haven Neighborhood Services and met CEO and Executive Director Erika Toriz — a relationship that has changed Beverly’s life.
Through financial coaching, credit counseling and other supportive services, the Haven team helped Beverly sort through her bills. The team created an action plan forward, helped save her home, and also helped navigate a predatory loan that was weighing heavily on her.
Beverly Roberts continues to take advantage of the many services that Haven Neighborhood Services offers to ensure she maintains her financial health.
After hard work and persistence in improving her financial health, Beverly is back on her feet financially.
“It took me seven years to get everything straightened out, but it feels so good to have done it — and I’m 87, so it’s never too late!” she says. “I wouldn’t have been able to without Haven.”
Throughout the years, Beverly has taken advantage of nearly all of the services Haven offers, including the popular Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, an IRS-certified program that provides free income tax filing to income-eligible residents of Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.
Nora Perez, VP, Community Development Officer at Enterprise, serves as Haven’s board chair and has been a volunteer with the nonprofit for four years, clocking in approximately 200 service hours per year volunteering as a tax preparer and leading financial education workshops and other initiatives across the organization.
“Haven does so much good for LA County residents. It’s rewarding to hear stories of how clients are improving their lives and how, collectively, we are working on economic inclusion and financial stability right here in our community,” Nora says.
This mission to financially empower vulnerable communities in Los Angeles to end their financial and housing crisis is why Erika founded Haven in 2010, after witnessing too many families losing their homes to foreclosure during the financial crisis.
“Every single dollar that is donated to Haven by our community partners like Enterprise, we stretch it to the max, and we bring results to the community,” Erika says. “We are mission driven and believe in the clients we serve and also believe that we can empower.”
