YOUNGSTOWN — PNC Bank has partnered with the United Way to sponsor financial empowerment education sessions.

Grimilda Ocasio-Santiago, United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley’s director of community impact, said many people don’t know about the free programs. Giving individuals access to knowledge about the programs is important to her, she added.

“United way and PNC are here to serve our community members and assist with financial education to provide useful skills. The goal of this program is to advance equity through financial literacy, by providing education and services directly to the Valley,” Ocasio-Santiago said.

Nine events have been hosted and more than 250 families have been assisted since the start of financial empowerment in the Valley.

One session was late last week at the Eugenia Atkinson Center on Otis Street. Ocasio-Santiago explained that the organization is working to connect community members to agencies and teach them about financial literacy.

Seventeen agencies were on hand to help educate, they included Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Program (MYCAP), Catholic Charities, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County Public, Apprisen (debt management and credit counseling), Mahoning County Training Association, Home for Good, Easterseals, Goodwill, Molina Health, Community Legal Aid, YMCA, YWCA, Youngstown State University and ACTION Mobile Market.

“The goal is not to have people sign with a bank. It is simply to inform,” Ocasio-Santiago said. “This free program allows community members to connect with agencies in our neighborhood.”

Former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, and the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley partnered with PNC Bank in 2010 to support a prekindergarten readiness program for 12 schools across the Valley that summer. The following year, a $25,000 grant renewed the Success by 6 program’s impact in the area and also expanded to 15 schools. Then in 2019, the Beeghly College of Education at YSU was awarded a two-year, $150,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to develop the YSU Early Learning Academy through the Grow Up Great initiative that began in 2004.

As part of a previous PNC Foundation grant of $100,000 for two Youngstown-based organizations, $70,000 went to the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. The grant focused on “financial coaching, outreach and education, volunteer income tax assistance programs, improving banking relationships for individuals and small businesses, debt elimination, credit score improvement, first-time homebuyer support, rent / utility assistance, transportation assistance, custody assistance and legal advice.”

The PNC Foundation has issued many grants in the Mahoning Valley for more than 15 years. Many of these relate to early eduacation, so the session held last week in Youngstown was similar — yet more interesting — for adult-aged guests.