Ideas for helping people to get out of debt

On Sunday 17th June 2007 we looked at the idea of how we, as a community of faith, could help each other to get of debt. Here are some of the things that people thought of:

• Encourage an openness about debt – find out using an anonymous database how big the problem is
• A charitable fund to help people – a bit like a credit union, where people can borrow money without having high interest rates
• Debt counselling facility
• Website forum for sharing tips on saving money
• Helping people with budget advice
• Publicise the different organisations which can offer help
• Start a relationship with an existing external Christian organisation offering debt counselling advice
• Talk about money in housegroups, openness and accountability about budgets and spending
• Credit card amnesty
• Try to stop banks from irresponsibly handing out credit cards
• Training up a debt counsellor or a group that people could go to for advice for prayer and support
• Church helping to fund this sort of support
• Intervention and long-term care
• A co-op of resources, skills, alleviates the need for spending using money. Pooling time and resources
• Teaching our children and ourselves about being wise regarding debt. Be careful of things like store cards
• Change people’s hearts and minds to prevent them from getting back into debt. Changing attitudes
• Turn on the TV at housegroup and laugh at the adverts!
• Co-ordinating shopping to get as many benefits as possible
• When you go shopping, buy extra so that we can help to feed each other – give it away to someone who needs it
• Savings scheme for students
• Pool points from tescos and other places
• Making events accessible in terms of cost
• Advertising jobs available to help people who need employment to find suitable posts.

What do you think? Is this something we could be doing? Should be doing? Would you like to offer help?