Financial Literacy
Loan and Financial Education Program
Serving Lower Fairfield County

Loans are available to qualified applicants for cars, Immigration fees, childcare costs, home repairs, job training, school tuition, and other unplanned expenses. Loans are issued to a third party and cannot be used for past due bills or outstanding debt. (Low interest loans take an average of 4 to 6 weeks for approval.)
Services
• Personalized budgeting advice
• Helpful financial education and resource materials
• One-on-one support during the loan process
• Access to loans up to $10,000 at a low 5.5% interest rate regardless of a bad credit score of no credit history. The interest rate on the loan never changes.
• Flexible loan repayment schedule
• Referral to other community resources
• Peace of mind provided by Catholic Charities, one of the largest and oldest social service providers in Connecticut
Who to Contact
Diane Barston, Manager
203-767-4854
LFED@ccfc-ct.org
Location
120 East Avenue 2nd Floor
Norwalk, CT 06851
(Located across the street from Norwalk City Hall)
Program Hours
Please call or email for an appointment: Virtual appointments also available.
Monday-Friday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (please call or email for an appointment)
In addition to our Norwalk location, we also offer Family Loan Program services in Danbury. Learn more about our Danbury location here.

Testimonials
At this time in my life it seems that a rain storm started and kept going. One day I decided to reach out for help which is a hard thing to do, and where do you start? I was referred to Catholic Charities and then I met Diane Barston. Another blessing!! As soon as I spoke with her, I felt safe and I was in good hands. This loan helped me to be able to get on my feet to meet more than one goal. Financial stability, safety for my family and overall better quality of life.
The Latest Financial News
Required Documents for Loan Applicants
Even though we can’t do anything about the rising cost of groceries, we can shop strategically for food to lower our monthly expenses. Here are a few tips on how to save on groceries right now:
https://hermoney.com/save/budgeting/inflation-and-the-new-way-to-buy-groceries-to-save-money/
Loan and Financial Education Program in the news:

Thomas Gets the Car of His Dreams… And Some Valuable Financial Advice
Thomas gets the car of his dreams… and some valuable financial advice with the help of the Loan and Financial Education Program!
Navigating Inflation: How Catholic Charities Helps Those in Need
During periods of inflation, every dollar buys less than it did before, eroding purchasing power, affecting savings, and impacting overall financial well-being. “Financial literacy is always an important tool for our clients. However, in hard economic times when inflation is high, the importance of financial literacy cannot be overstated,” states Donoghue. “It is one of the reasons why Catholic Charities offers two financial literacy programs, one in Danbury and one in Norwalk. We have seen how crucial financial literacy is for the long-term success of our clients.”
Learn about the Loan and Financial Education Program in this video from New Covenant Center!
Program funds generously provided by:







This program was made possible [in part] by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut.
