Hammack hears about the triumphs and challenges facing recent graduates of two Urban League programs

During a roundtable discussion hosted by the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, she also learned about people’s challenges in stretching their paychecks to cover essentials amid high inflation. A number of roundtable participants described how rising prices for goods and services like groceries and utilities are forcing them to make tough choices.

“We used to be able to put $50 to the side, but now that $50 looks like $30,” a graduate of the Urban League’s 700 Credit Club said. The credit club is a structured program to help participants rebuild their credit scores, including lessons in debt management, financial literacy, and budgeting.

A recent graduate of the Urban Tech Collective program—a five-month program that provides training and development for people looking for careers and advancement in the tech industry—told Hammack that the certification she earned is helping her business be more competitive and allowing her to more fully participate in the economy: “I can hold bigger accounts and scale my business, and teach my staff to add more value for my business.”

About President Beth M. Hammack’s Around the District tour

President Hammack is visiting communities across the Fourth District as part of her Around the District tour to meet and connect with the people who live and work in all corners of the region and to gain a better understanding of how the economy is working in different communities. The Cleveland Fed, with branches in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, serves an area that comprises Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky, and the northern panhandle of West Virginia. Hammack will use this information to inform her policy views and better represent the Fourth District around the Federal Open Market Committee table.