Earn it, Keep it, Save it!! - Say no to payday loans!!

Eloisa Herrero

During the past several months the media around the world has covered the controversy surrounding Arizona’s New Immigration Law. Almost everybody has read or heard about it and probably everybody has formed an opinion about this law, either against or for.

However, I believe the media has failed to give enough coverage to a very important law that took effect on July 1st in Arizona, if they did I must have completely missed it.

Payday lending ended in Arizona on July 1, 2010. Arizona did it by cancelling the payday lenders' exemption to the state's 36% loan interest rate cap. This is a huge step towards protecting working families who are trying to get ahead.
Unfortunately, the outlook is not as good in Texas. Many families use payday loans as a last resort to meet their basic needs. For a two-week payday loan, people will pay more or less fifteen dollars for every $100 they borrowed which roughly represents a 390% annual percentage rate (APR)! Those who cannot pay off the loan on time often take a new loan to pay off the first one and soon they find themselves in a cycle of loans, which they cannot break.

I believe it would be a great idea if we could all ADVOCATE for a solution to this growing problem by urging the Texas state law makers to create stricter laws for the payday loan businesses.

By doing so we would help a lot of people in our communities to get out of debt faster, meet their basic needs, build assets and attain a better quality of life.

Back to School!!

By Eloisa Herrero

Back to school means new teachers, new friends, new classrooms or maybe new schools. When I was a kid, it also meant new books, new pencils, new uniforms, new shoes, and new backpacks. During all those years, it never crossed my mind that going back to school could have possibly meant new worries for my parents!

When you are a kid you never worry about that. I never knew if they struggled or not to come up with the extra money to get all my school supplies. I was fortunate to have my school supplies ready to go back to school every year and I am so thankful for that now.

Even though I am not a parent, I know now the incredible burden that going back to school could mean to many parents. They must hate this time of the year!

Fortunately, for those parents who need a little help getting their kids’ school supplies there are resources that I would like to share with them:

• School Supply Train in Longview
Where: The ROC at the corner of South and Fredonia Streets (across from First Baptist Church of Longview)

When: August 13th from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
August 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

• School Supplies in Kilgore
Where: St. Luke’s Methodist Church - 401 E Main (Entrance across from Citizen’s Bank)

When: August 18th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
August 19th from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. or until supplies last.



For more information call INFOline of Gregg County at 903-236-9211

Home Repairs Program gets a helping hand

The Home Repairs Program is drilling down the list of elderly and/or disabled homeowners in need of assistance - thanks to UM Army! UM Army, United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth, is a group of young people from all over the Lone Star State that give their time to help others during their summer. This week our referrals along with others in the surrounding area will receive minor home repairs! After months of waiting, clients will have improved living conditions -thanks to these stars that will shine forever in the lives they touched.

Our Work

As GLUW works with our donors, volunteers and partnering agencies to advance the common good in our community, United Way nationally is partnering to restore the Gulf Coast. Check this out:

LIVE UNITED on Larry King Live: How You Can Help Telethon Monday at 8 PM ET
On CNN’s Larry King Live this Monday, a special 2-hour telethon with celebrity participants will feature United Way as one of three charities in efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast. Thousands of people have already received United Way help with food, clothing, utility assistance, rent and mortgage relief, and access to health and mental health care. Call into the telethon or go to our Web site to give to the United Way Gulf Recovery Fund to support emergency assistance and long-term recovery efforts to rebuild lives by addressing educational, financial and health-related challenges.

Celebrity participants include: Ryan Seacrest, Justin Bieber, Ted Danson, Robert Redford, Sting, Cameron Diaz, Kathy Griffin, Chelsea Handler, Randy Jackson, Kerry Kennedy, Lenny Kravitz, Jenny McCarthy, Tim McGraw, Alyssa Milano, Edward James Olmos, Victoria Principal, Ian Somerhalder, Melania and Ivanka Trump, Pete Wentz, Jerricho Cotchery, Marcellus Wiley

The United Way Gulf Recovery Fund will provide emergency assistance and support long-term recovery efforts to rebuild lives by addressing educational, financial and health-related challenges.

For more on how you can help visit www.give.liveunited.org/page/contribute/gulf. We are privilege to have the opportunity to inspire hope and create opportunities in Gregg County as well as, being a part of an organization that is doing the same throughout the country and the world. That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED!

Information provided by United Way Worldwide

Luminant's check presentation was made at the Greater Longview United Way office. L-R in photo State Rep. Tommy Merritt, GLUW Executive Director Donna Mahurin, GLUW Board President Chuck Ewings, State Senator Kevin Eltiffe’s District Coordinator Dee Farmer and Luminant Martin Lake Community Relations Mgr. Rick Hanning. The check represents Luminant’s Corporate matching funds contribution.

2009 VITA Program Results

Thanks to our VITA volunteers and staff, the returns prepared totaled $367,904 in refunds to our clients!Here is a comparison of our VITA Program from 2007-2009:VITA provides free tax preparation from IRS trained volunteers every year. So remember them for your 2010 taxes!

For more information and qualifications, please visit our website @ longviewunitedway.org under the Initiatives tab select VITA.