CWA Member Uses Union Plus DMP Grant to Create New Hashtag: #debtfree
Communications Workers of America (CWA) member Amanda Tanay and her husband were having a hard time getting rid of their debt. Because of her CWA membership, Tanay was able to take control of her situation by utilizing Union Plus Credit Counseling through the non-profit organization Money Management International (MMI).
“We had quite a bit of debt,” said Amanda Tanay, a Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1075 member. “My husband and I were having a hard time getting rid of it on our own.”
Tanay is copy editor and social media coordinator for Monmouth County, New Jersey’s park system. As she came off an illness that forced her to miss work, her husband lost his job.
“It was overwhelming. We tried to pay minimum balances on our credit cards, and we realized it would take us 20 to 30 years.”
The Union Plus Solution
That’s when Tanay and her husband decided to take control of their situation, and Tanay knew she could access Union Plus Credit Counseling for free through the non-profit organization Money Management International (MMI).
After their free session, the Tanays took the next step, enrolling in a customized debt management plan (DMP). They applied for and received a Union Plus DMP Grant, which defrayed the initial $75 set-up fee for the plan. After one year on the plan, they became eligible for and received $300 to reimburse them for their monthly MMI
“I would definitely encourage any CWA member who is working through challenges with debt to access the Union Plus Credit Counseling benefit, set up a plan and apply for the grant,” said Tanay. “With our plan, we’ll pay our debt off in four years, and the Union Plus Grant on top of it is amazing.”
For more information on debt management, credit counseling and all of the Union Plus Hardship Help benefits, visit unionplus.org/hardship.
Union Plus Consumer Credit Counseling is currently available in the United States, but not available in Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, and Canada.