Empowering Tillamook County Through Financial Wellness
Urban Rural Action
Tillamook County, Oregon
Building resilience and financial stability through free financial literacy classes that connect generations across rural Tillamook County
Empowering Tillamook County provides free financial literacy classes to underserved youth and adults across this rural county west of Portland, Oregon. Older volunteers often share personal stories to help younger people understand the importance of budgeting, saving and investing. Younger volunteers often help older people struggling with poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence and trauma by showing them how to overcome technological barriers to financial opportunities. All participants have a chance to learn by connecting across generations.
Led by Maree Beers, Program Co-Director
Maree Beers serves as the community partner lead for the financial empowerment project in Tillamook County as part of Uniting for Action on the Oregon Economy, an Urban Rural Action program.
Maree comes from a career in banking and mortgage lending and has seen firsthand the barriers that arise from not understanding personal finance. As a result, she found herself needing to directly focus on providing financial services through the social responsibility lens of financial education. She is proud to work in financial education because she believes that individual financial empowerment is the key to community financial wellness.
Maree lives on the Siuslaw watershed with her partner Jesse and her two kids. Her heart and passions resonate deeply with current happenings in her community and broader society, and she wants to make meaningful connections and bridge gaps between our very diverse communities. When she isn’t busy with work, she enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering with other local organizations, and performing with her jazz band.