Meet Naya Artis

Knowledge She Can Bank On

After calling Tidewater Gardens home for the past 8 years, Naya Artis was ready to move on. There was just one problem. A low credit score created by lingering student debt. Instantly, her options for safe, stable housing for her family were diminished, and the move would have to wait. With the help of People First ^USI, she enrolled in “BankOn Hampton Roads,” a free financial literacy program offered through the Bank Of Hampton Roads. Part classroom instruction and part coaching, the program helps people become financially empowered to make sound financial decisions. Naya attended every bi-weekly meeting and completed every homework assignment for 8 straight months, all while keeping up with her demanding work as an in-home caregiver. Along the way, an amazing thing happened. For the first time ever, she found herself saving money and planning her financial future. “I was trying to set things in place so I wouldn’t have a problem when I decided to move,” she said. “I would like to be in a position where there are not any barriers.” Now well on her way to making her big move, Naya has already set her sights on an even bigger goal to her own home care agency. With the strong financial foundation she’s building and her dedication to creating a brighter future for herself and her family, there’s little doubt that will happen, too.