The threat of losing a home is one of the worst things anyone can experience. But for many Central Alabamians, that concern is unavoidable. People get laid off, and medical emergencies happen every day. Those and countless other realities can create a personal financial crisis – seemingly out of nowhere.
Doug Horst knows this. As the Program Director of Financial Stability Services (FSS) at United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA), he leads a team responsible for helping people resolve difficult financial problems such as foreclosure.
The ways they help clients are different every day. And for Horst, some of the most meaningful solutions that they provide are about more than just finances.
“People often come to us with a simple ask. ‘I need help working this problem out. I really want to stay in my home.’ But when they come to us, their hearts are often filled with fear, sometimes shame and guilt. Being able to resolve those complex situations is some of the most meaningful work we do,” Horst said.
United Way’s Financial Stability Services encompasses several programs, including free tax preparation and various financial and housing education workshops. But perhaps the most transformational service is one-on-one financial counseling.
In addition to his broader leadership role of the program, Horst serves alongside Charlie Pierson as one of UWCA’s HUD-certified housing counselors. Together with two case managers, Horst and Pierson focus on providing direct assistance to people who are either considering life-changing purchases, such as a home, or experiencing financial hardship.
One of the duo’s favorite stories is about a woman — let’s call her Ava.
Ava cleans people’s houses. And in 2020, after raising her family in the United States, her husband ran away to Mexico — leaving her to pay the mortgage, which was in his name only. Months into the COVID pandemic (and less than proficient in English) Ava came to United Way with severely overdue payments.
Not only did the pandemic negatively impact her house-cleaning business, the mortgage lender wanted proof of her income. That was something Ava didn’t know how to show since she was often paid in cash.
But Horst, Pierson and Ava’s 20-year-old son (who had a better command of English) helped her set up a bank account, get legal assistance and work out a plan with the lender to stay in her home.
“That situation was a win-win, where everybody was happy,” Pierson said. “That’s what’s cool about this kind of work.”
Horst joined United Way’s Financial and Housing Education program in the fall of 2019, but he had already been doing similar work for about 20 years at Gateway, a United Way partner agency. He said his career has been defined by business acumen, accompanied by the “heart of a social worker.”
Pierson followed Horst over from Gateway within a year, but his path to helping others with financial stability was different from Horst’s. He had built a career in retail throughout his young adulthood.
“Retail used to be fun,” Pierson said. “To work in a store was awesome, and you could make really good money if you were good at it, because there were a lot of people who weren’t.”
But around the late 2000s, Pierson said, he grew disenchanted with the industry. Seeking fulfillment away from work, Pierson befriended Horst while he was teaching life skills with the Foundry Ministries in Bessemer. Recognizing that Pierson had a passion for educating others, Horst knew that he would be good at financial counseling.
It wasn’t long after that when Pierson joined Horst at Gateway in 2014, and the two have basically worked together ever since. Their heads and hearts are dedicated to helping people through some of life’s most trying circumstances. And they found the ideal place to do that at United Way.
Financial Stability Starts with Support
Explore how United Way of Central Alabama’s partners and programs are building pathways to financial stability—through housing support, job training, financial coaching and more.
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