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Counsellors turn the light on
KRIS KETONEN
11/03/2009

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No matter what a person‘s credit situation, there‘s a solution.

That‘s the message the Thunder Bay Counselling Centre wants to get across at today‘s credit counselling open house, where people with questions about their credit and financial situations can talk with experts in the field.

“Just by getting to know some of the professionals out there and how helpful they are, and how much knowledge is out there . . . you have the power, you have the confidence to fix your financial situation, no matter what it is,” credit counsellor Bev Dunnill said Monday at the centre. “It might not be your immediate expectation to how you were going to do it, but there‘s always a solution.”

Dunnill said the centre has seen an increase in clients due to the downturn in the economy and resulting layoffs or underemployment.

And it can be a scary thing, Dunnill said.

“I would probably compare it to standing on a dirt road in the middle of the dark in the middle of the bush, and you can‘t see two feet in front of you,” she said. “We come in and we kind of start turning the light on with the individual, so they can look further down the road and start to see where they‘re going to place their feet, where they can move towards.

“Having too much debt and not knowing what you‘re going to do from one day to the next, maybe where your source of income‘s going to come, or how you‘re going to pay that creditor adds a great amount of stress and it affects your health, your sleep, your relationships with your family, it even affects your performance at work.”

One person who has seen a change first-hand is Dayna Johnson, who was on hand for a news conference Monday. A two-year client, her husband has been put in a part-time position, and Johnson is on maternity leave.

Her family fell into debt due to her husband‘s job situation and raising three kids, including a newborn, she said. Still, she was hesitant to come to the centre.

“People look down upon you if you have financial problems,” she said. “But when I came in the door, they were very wonderful.

“They were friendly, they sat down and talked. They were very helpful, all the councillors here.”

Now, while her family still has debt, they‘re paying their monthly bills, and they‘re still able to do the things that are important to them.

Plus, Johnson said, “I can buy diapers and formula and all the rest of that stuff, and it works for our family.”

The centre helps clients deal with all kinds of credit issues, including debt and identity theft.

The open house will include credit counsellors and other professionals in a casual atmosphere, Dunnill said, and will allow for those who attend to ask questions they may otherwise be hesitant to ask. Displays will be set up and handouts will be available.

The open house – part of National Credit Education Week – runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, 544 Winnipeg Ave.
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