Patriot Bank Provides Counsel & Planning for Those Facing Homelessness

December 14, 2015

Fairfield County-based Patriot Bank, N.A. recently offered a complimentary financial education seminar to those receiving support from the Westport-based Homes with Hope. The non-profit organization operates 33 units of permanent supportive housing for individuals and families who are chronically homeless and suffer from a mental illness. The event took place at the Powell Place Community Room in Westport.

Homes with Hope’s mission is to support the homeless and those at-risk of homelessness by providing food, safe emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing and the case management needed to achieve independence and self-sufficiency. The non-profit is professionally staffed master’s level social workers who have the education and experience to assist clients facing the crisis of homelessness.

“At Patriot Bank we understand that everyone needs a helping hand at some point in their lives. By learning the basics of money and credit we hope participants gained meaningful advice that will help improve their financial lives and make a lasting impact,” said Patriot Bank President & CEO Ken Neilson.

Participants of the “Understanding Money & Credit” seminar learned how to assess their current financial condition and create a viable plan using budgeting, saving and credit to achieve their long-term financial goals.

Participants learned how to how to:

Accurately evaluate their financial situation
Create a budget that includes saving for the future
Set objectives to meet long-term financial goals
Use credit to their advantage
Detect identify fraud and stop it

The seminar was presented by Frankie Lee Smith, Vice President and Manager of Patriot Bank in Westport. Ms. Smith is a Westport native who has led numerous seminars and events to help improve the financial lives of local residents throughout her 35-plus year community banking career.

About Patriot Bank, N.A.

Patriot Bank, N.A. is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut and provides consumer and commercial banking services to individuals, government and nonprofit entities, small and medium-sized businesses and professionals. Patriot Bank currently operates 10 full service branches, 8 in Connecticut and 2 in New York. Patriot Bank was founded in 1994.

Picture: L-R: Homes with Hope case manager Wendy Epstein, LCSW, Frankie Lee Smith, Vice President and Manager of Patriot Bank in Westport; and Homes with Hope Case Manager, Robynne Quinn, LCSW