Revitalizing Financial Literacy: IHA’s Blended Credit Café Workshop

June 4, 2024

Revitalizing Financial Literacy: IHA’s Blended Credit Café Workshop

Since 2016, Interfaith Housing Alliance (IHA) has been empowering community members through the Credit Café, a program designed to enhance financial literacy and credit management. The Credit Café offers a comprehensive approach, blending education with strategic credit goal setting to help participants improve, maintain, or enhance their credit scores while reducing overall debt burdens.

Initially, the program operated entirely in person. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020 forced IHA to pivot to a virtual format. After a brief hiatus, the Credit Café relaunched online in July 2020. The virtual workshop was structured in three phases to provide a more in-depth and supportive virtual experience:

1. Educational Workshop: This initial phase consists of a one-hour group session offered multiple times each month throughout the year. Participants explore a wide range of topics covering the fundamentals of credit mechanisms and best practices for credit upkeep.

2. Personalized Credit Report Review: Following the group workshop, participants engage in a tailored 30-minute one-on-one session with an advisor, conducted virtually via Zoom within one week of the group session. During this session, advisors help participants understand their credit reports and set credit-related goals aligned with their future financial aspirations. Each participant receives a complimentary copy of their tri-merged credit report, freshly pulled on the day of the event to ensure the most current information for this individualized meeting.

3. Continued Support: The Credit Café Workshop provides ongoing assistance beyond the initial workshop. The advisor remains accessible for follow-ups via email, phone, or text ensuring participants have the resources to sustain their credit journey and monitor progress. Participants are invited back for a follow-up advising session 6 months after their initial credit review to receive an updated credit report and review progress.


Over the past year, Lacy Allen, the Credit Café Program Manager, has introduced a blended option, combining in-person group workshops with virtual personalized credit report reviews. This hybrid approach caters to those who thrive better in an in-person setting while maintaining the convenience and efficiency of virtual consultations.


The blended option was first introduced with the Housing Authority of the City of Frederick at their Lucas Village Community Room. Partnering with local organizations has proven beneficial in multiple ways: reducing administrative work for IHA, increasing participant numbers, and providing trusted local contacts to assist with registration and reminders.


Following the success of the initial blended workshops, other organizations such as CORE, the Arc of Frederick County, Brunswick Public Library, C. Burr Artz Public Library, and IHA apartment/townhome communities have adopted this model. This approach allows more organizations to bring the educational portion of the Credit Café directly to their clients or staff.



If you or your organization have a group of individuals who could benefit from learning about credit in an in-person setting, reach out to Lacy Allen at lames@interfaithhousing.org or text 301-818-5606 to explore how the blended Credit Café Workshop can work for you!

Join us in promoting financial empowerment and stability through the Credit Café Workshop, now more accessible than ever!

Fall Updates from IHA

September 2, 2026
A quarter of grant wins, community partnerships, and small moments that remind us why this work matters. Here's what's been happening at Interfaith Housing Alliance since the summer. GRANTS & FUNDING: Four New Grants Fuel IHA's Work This Quarter Interfaith Housing Alliance is proud to announce four funding awards totaling $220,000 during the last quarter from our community partners. In June 2026, IHA was awarded a $30,000 grant by Ausherman Family Foundation. This capacity-building grant will provide funding support for the organization during its transition to new leadership. It will also support IHA's work with key community consultants with the goal of recentering IHA's programs and services in Frederick, MD. In July 2026, IHA was awarded a $125,000 grant from Morgan Stanley. This operational grant supports IHA in its ongoing quest to create and provide affordable housing opportunities for low- to moderate-income (LMI) community members. It also supports IHA's continued community programming, which provides access to financial education and affordable homeownership opportunities. In August 2026, IHA received two funding awards in support of IHA's Financial Dignity and Empowerment Services. IHA was awarded a $30,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) Maryland Housing Counseling Fund (MHCF). IHA was also awarded a $35,000 grant by Rural Maryland Council (RMC) through their Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF) program. These grants will support the full spectrum of community programming IHA offers, including group educational workshops on financial health, individualized financial coaching and housing counseling, and pathways to affordable homeownership. We are deeply grateful to these partners for their continued investment in this community.

Weinberg House Renovation Brings New Life to Senior Living

By Vickie Mills • June 2, 2026
Exciting, the final renovations of the last two units are underway at Weinberg House, a long-standing affordable senior living community in Fredrick, Maryland. Originally built in 1994, the property provided safe, stable housing for older adults for decades. Renovations began on May 1, 2023. At that time, they had a total of 23 units to renovate. The renovations included freshly painted walls, new carpet in the bedrooms, new flooring in the other rooms, new cabinets in the bathroom, as well as new kitchen cupboards, fixtures and new appliances. The final two units will be ready for lease up June 15, 2026. The renovation of Weinberg House represents a meaningful investment in both people and place. By modernizing the property while protecting its mission, this project will help ensure that affordable, welcoming housing remains available for seniors for years to come. It is an encouraging example of how thoughtful redevelopment can strengthen communities and honor the residents who call them home.

Interfaith Housing Alliance (IHA) is proud to announce three funding awards during the last quarter from our community partners.

By Rachel Gardner • June 2, 2026
In March 2026, IHA was awarded a $50,000 grant through the Frederick County Government’s Helping Empower Area Resources Together (HEART). These one-time operational funds were awarded to mitigate the effects of the longest federal government shutdown in history. This grant has allowed IHA to continue providing essential programs and services to Frederick County residents despite challenges at the federal level. IHA was also awarded a $5,000 grant from the City of Frederick through the Community Promotion Grant program. This grant supports aging in place and youth development needs among City residents through IHA’s Supportive Services. The program serves residents of IHA’s senior and multi-family affordable rental communities at 222 Broadway Street (Weinberg House) and 520 N. Market Street, respectively. In April 2026, IHA was also awarded a $25,000 Community Partnership Grant from Frederick County Government. This grant supports IHA’s full range of Financial Dignity and Empowerment Services, including our homeownership and financial education programming. IHA’s Purchase-Repair Program provides an avenue to homeownership for those who otherwise would not qualify for a traditional home loan. In Credit Café, participants work specifically on improving their credit. Financial Freedom Bootcamp helps participants improve their skills in budgeting, saving, debt reduction, and financial goal setting. The Frederick Affordable Housing Incubator (FAHI) brings multiple sectors together to increase the affordable housing inventory in Frederick County.
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