Free, one-on-one financial planning to build back-to-school budget

YOUNG PEOPLE, LOCAL STUDENTS ARE RETURNING TO CLASSES SOON. AND GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA IS WORKING TO HELP FAMILIES STRETCH THAT BUDGET THIS TIME OF YEAR. IT’S A WAY TO EASE THE STRESS OF GATHERING SUPPLIES HERE, TO SHARE MORE ABOUT FREE FINANCIAL COACHING SERVICES AVAILABLE TO YOU, WE’VE GOT PROSPERITY PLATFORM MANAGER ELIZABETH RICE. GREAT TO SEE YOU, ELIZABETH. GOOD MORNING. THIS IS GOING TO HELP SO MANY FAMILIES. IT’S A STRESSFUL TIME OF YEAR. WE HAVE SO MUCH WE NEED TO BUY. WHAT ARE THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE FOR US HERE? SHOPPING IN 2025 FOR BACK TO SCHOOL. SO ON AVERAGE, FAMILIES ARE SPENDING ANYWHERE FROM $550 TO AS MUCH AS $900. YEAH, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY KIDS THEY HAVE AND THE GRADE LEVEL THAT THEY’RE GOING INTO, THAT’S A LOT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SOME FAMILIES HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA HAVING TO MAKE TOUGH CHOICES RIGHT NOW ABOUT HOW EVEN TO RUN MUCH, THEY CAN RUN THE AIR CONDITIONING OR WORRYING ABOUT FOOD ON THE TABLE. AND AND YOU ALL AND YOUR TEAM ARE HERE TO HELP. AND THERE IS A RISING COST THAT WE’RE SEEING WITH HEATING IN THE WINTER. CERTAINLY COOLING HERE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS AND THEN COST OF LIVING, IT’S REALLY GONE UP FOR US IN CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT HAS. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT A LOT OF STORES ARE SEEING AN UPTICK WITH THE URGENCY AND THE FEAR OF INCREASED PRICES ON IMPORTED GOODS SUCH AS CLOTHING AND SHOES. PARENTS ARE STARTING TO SHOP A LITTLE SOONER, WHICH IS BETTER. BUT THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES AND PARENTS THAT JUST DON’T HAVE IT TO BE ABLE TO START PLANNING IN ADVANCE. AND ELIZABETH, LET’S TALK ABOUT GOODWILL’S PROSPERITY PLANNERS. THIS IS GOING TO HELP MOMS AND DADS AS WE’RE GETTING READY TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGETING, WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING? SO THE GOODWILL’S PROSPERITY PLATFORM OFFERS PLANNERS THAT PROVIDE ONE ON ONE COACHING, AND WE SUPPORT, GUIDE AND LOOK FOR RESOURCES AND STRATEGICALLY PLAN TO HELP PEOPLE REACH THEIR GOALS. IT’S NOT A MATTER OF HOW MUCH OR WHERE WE THINK A PERSON SHOULD GO OR WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. WE’RE LOOKING TO HELP THEM MEET THEIR GOALS FOR WHAT THEY WANT IN THEIR LIVES, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE. SO BUDGETING IS A IS A KEY TO THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE EXPERIENCING A LOT OF STRESS WITHIN THE BUDGET. TRYING TO FIGURE, WHERE CAN I GET THIS MONEY FROM TO TAKE CARE OF MY MY CHILDREN. AND SO WE PROVIDE OUR BACKGROUNDS, WE PROVIDE INFORMATION TO TRY AND LINK INDIVIDUALS WITH RESOURCES THAT MAY BE RIGHT THERE IN YOUR BACKYARD. YEAH, SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT’S AVAILABLE TO THEM. ABSOLUTELY. AND, ELIZABETH, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE MAKING, YOU KNOW, A ONE ON ONE SESSION OR IS THIS A GROUP THING? SORT OF. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO TO HAVE THIS COACHING? SO WE CREATE A SAFE SPACE. IT’S A JUDGMENT FREE ZONE WHERE YOU AND I CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR DREAMS AND SOME OF YOUR CHALLENGES THAT YOU’RE FACING. AND THEN AS A PLANNER, WE’RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW CAN WE OVERCOME THAT. AND WE WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS BY MEETINGS. WE CAN MEET YOU VIRTUALLY. WE CAN MEET YOU IN PERSON, AND WE WALK YOU THROUGH MEETING THOSE SMALL WINS UNTIL YOU DO ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS AND THERE’S NO DEADLINE DATE, THERE’S NO TERMINATION DATE. YOU CAN USE THIS FOR AS LONG AS YOU SO CHOOSE. OKAY. AND THAT’S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. IT DOESN’T HAVE HAVE AN ENDING ON THERE. NO. YOU’RE JUST HELPING PEOPLE SEE THOSE WINS. SOMETIMES SMALL UNTIL WE GET TO THOSE BIG WINS AND THEN ABSOLUTELY ELIZABETH, WE’RE GOOD HERE. ABSOLUTELY. WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU. YEAH. YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE HAVE HIT THAT PLACE WHERE THEY ARE ABLE TO. YOU’VE HELPED THEM WALK AND THEN TO RUN, AND NOW THEY’RE OFF ON THAT ON THAT RACE. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. AND HOW DO WE MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO, TO REACH OUT TO YOU SO THEY CAN SCAN THE QR CODE THAT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THEM THROUGH YOUR WEBSITE. THEY CAN ALSO VISIT OUR GOODWILL WEBSITE AT GOODWILL. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE AN EMAIL PROSPERITY PLAN AT GOODWILL. ORG AS WELL. OKAY. AND WE’LL MAKE IT EASY BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED ELIZABETH. WE’VE GOT THAT QR CODE. IT’S SO EASY ON YOUR SCREEN. WE ALSO PUT ALL THE INFORMATION UNDER THE BACK TO SCHOOL TAB ON WESH.COM. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. AND KEEP UP T

Free, one-on-one financial planning to build back-to-school budget

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida Prosperity Platform manager, Elizabeth Rice, joins WESH 2’s Jason Guy to explain the resources available to help families afford classroom essentials

Updated: 9:36 AM EDT Jul 29, 2025

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Goodwill Industries of Central Florida (GICF) Prosperity Platform manager, Elizabeth Rice, joins WESH 2’s Jason Guy to detail the resources available to help families afford classroom essentials.GICF offers free, one-on-one financial planning through the Goodwill Prosperity Planning program.Click here to fill out the Prosperity Platform interest form or email [email protected]. Click here to learn more about GICF.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida (GICF) Prosperity Platform manager, Elizabeth Rice, joins WESH 2’s Jason Guy to detail the resources available to help families afford classroom essentials.

GICF offers free, one-on-one financial planning through the Goodwill Prosperity Planning program.

Click here to fill out the Prosperity Platform interest form or email [email protected].

Click here to learn more about GICF.