A baby boomer crunching the numbers at his kitchen table worries that he and his wife won’t be able to keep up with their mortgage payments as their medical expenses grow. A newly single mom stretches her budget to pay monthly utility bills and other necessities but finds there’s not enough for a complete mortgage payment. A laid-off homeowner struggling to find a new job realizes he may lose the house he bought just last year.

These circumstances seem overwhelming, but each day 34 certified CCCS counselors at the new Gwinnett Service Center at Sugarloaf help people save their homes from foreclosure and begin to rebuild their financial futures. When fully staffed, the Sugarloaf center will house 100 degreed professionals helping consumers with mortgage and bankruptcy issues.

A nonprofit (501c3) agency, Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) will hold a grand opening at the new facility Wednesday, May 23 at 10 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Sugarloaf Corporate Center at 2160 Satellite Boulevard in Duluth.

CCCS President Suzanne Boas will welcome guests and speak briefly about the agency mission of providing help and hope through financial counseling and education. Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Vice President Nick Masino, CCCS Executive Vice President Mark Cole of Suwannee and CCCS Hispanic Outreach Coordinator Beatriz Mauersberg will officially “open the door.” Mauersberg, of Norcross, helps CCCS target services toward Atlanta’s Hispanic community and is a frequent spokesperson for the agency’s outreach efforts. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Gwinnett.

While CCCS offers in-person counseling at 10 branch offices throughout north Georgia, including a Gwinnett branch also on Satellite Boulevard, the Sugarloaf Service Center is the agency’s first location dedicated to helping consumers via telephone and online. Contributors to the facility are Bank of America, AGL Resources Foundation and Georgia Power Foundation as well as Wachovia-managed foundations and trusts including the Price Gilbert Jr. Charitable Fund, Mary Allen Lindsey Branan Foundation, David Helen and Marian Woodward Fund and Ida Alice Ryan Trust.

“We lend a hand to many people in Gwinnett through our housing programs, which range from homebuyer workshops to mortgage default and delinquency counseling,” Sugarloaf Counseling Manager Kevin Ferguson said, “We know how important a family’s home is to peace of mind.”

CCCS of Atlanta is also approved by the Executive Office for United States Trustees to provide the required counseling and education for bankruptcy filers nationwide.

About CCCS
Since 1964, families have turned to Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Atlanta for help with money problems. CCCS is a nonprofit, community service agency dedicated to helping families achieve financial stability. A United Way partner, CCCS provides confidential budget counseling, money management education, debt management programs, bankruptcy counseling and education, and comprehensive housing counseling.

CCCS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation and is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). Governed by a community-based board of directors, CCCS is funded by creditors, clients, contributors and grants from foundations, business and government agencies. Service is available at offices throughout north Georgia in English, Spanish and American Sign Language as well as by phone at 1-800-251-CCCS or online at www.cccsinc.org.

CCCS Atlanta is the headquarters for the CredAbility Network, a family of agencies serving consumers in north Georgia, south Florida, middle Mississippi and east Tennessee as well as nationally via telephone and Internet. CCCS Atlanta / the CredAbility Network is headquartered in the United Way Building on Edgewood Avenue in downtown Atlanta, where the Atlanta counseling office is also located. Other Georgia branches are in Cobb County, Decatur, Douglasville, Gainesville, Gwinnett County, Henry County and Rome. The CCCS virtual office is always open at www.cccsinc.org or 1-800-251-CCCS.