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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

The Family Sunshine Center will be hosting a free four-week course on personal finances, starting Sept. 12.

Class will be held at Kelsey’s Place, 950 Lumac Drive in Clanton at 5 p.m. The rest of the classes will be held on Mondays at 5 p.m. Each class will be one hour.

Allstate Foundation’s Moving Forward curriculum will be used in the class.

“It is a financial empowerment curriculum,” Wendy Fuller, prevention and outreach coordinator, said. “We’ll cover topics of budgeting … thinking about how you spend your money, savings, financial goals. We will cover credit reports and credit scores, which can be confusing for a lot of people, different banking options, and then we will finish up with housing options and what to look for in a rental agreement, what your rights are as a renter in the state of Alabama (and) how to apply for a mortgage.”

The curriculum was developed for victims of domestic violence, but the principles can help anyone.

Fuller said the classes are open to everyone in the county “that feels like they could benefit from knowing a little bit more about their finances.”

The class has been offered other places, and “those who participated really found benefit in learning about budgeting and how to stay on a budget, small tips about how to save money … and really just getting information about housing was important for them,” Fuller said.

Prevention educator Brinkley Jones will be teaching the classes.

Family Sunshine Center and Kelsey’s Place connected at a back-to-school event.

“It was just a good fit for the services they are already providing with the GED classes, GED testing and job readiness skills,” Fuller said.

The nonprofit serves seven counties in Central Alabama, including Chilton.

“We are just trying to do more outreach in that community, so that people are aware of the services we provide,” Fuller said.

To sign up for the email alerts for the class, email Fuller at wfuller@familysunshine.org.

The Family Sunshine Center serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking by providing hope and healing and works to prevent these situations.