Westmoreland Community Action
724-834-1260
800-816-0022
226 South Maple Avenue Greensburg, PA 15601

Financial Services

House made of folded billsFamily Savings Account (FSA)

Family Savings Account is a statewide initiative supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).  This program is designed to help people with low or moderate incomes establish and maintain a savings account for the purpose of building the assets needed for obtaining future goals.  

Savings will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $2000.00.  Participants must declare their goal, and stay in the program for a minimum of one year but not more than two years to receive the matching funds.

How You Can Take Part in the FSA Program

Individuals who are currently enrolled in various programs within WCA (such as Next Steps Supportive Housing, Homeownership Counseling, Head Start and Early Head Start) and who are interested in the Family Savings Account Program will receive add-on services to help them with such activities as budgeting their money, spending their money wisely, contributing regularly to a savings account, and credit repair. 

Other programs, such as the Supported Engagement/Supported Work Program, assist otherwise unemployed individuals with securing a job, thus leading to more money flowing into the household and with it, the opportunity to put away some of that money into a savings account. 

If you are not currently enrolled in any of WCA’s programs, but are interested in the FSA Program, you will be encouraged to participate in one or more of the agency’s services,  to learn the skills associated with budgeting, credit repair, or to obtain a (better) job.  All of this will be done with the end goal in mind of homeownership, vehicle purchase, secondary education, or whatever your goal might be.

Basic Economic Literacy Workshops

Participants of the FSA Program must attend four workshops in basic economic literacy, which will be provided by National City Bank.  The workshops are devoted to such things as banking basics, budgeting, fundamentals of credit, etc.  Workshops are held quarterly and each workshop will last between 60 and 90 minutes. 

The following topics will be covered under the four financial literacy workshops:

  • Bank On It introduces the basics of banking, from the different types of financial institutions to the services they offer.
  •  Money Matters teaches the concepts and benefits of budgeting.  Participages learn to use a budgeting tool to prepare a personal budget.
  •  Pay Yourself First helps you identify ways to save money and shows how many can grow as you save.  You'll learn the difference between different types of savings and investment accounts.
  • Check It Out teaches you to understand the benefits of using a bank rather than a check cashing services.  You'll understand how to compare types of checking accounts, open and keep account, write checks, use ATM cards, keep accurate records and reconcile your account.
  • Keep It Safe helps you to identify the laws that protect their rights as banking consumers, avoid scams, understand how to protect your identify and resole complaints with bank accounts
  • To Your Credit explains how credit reports are and how you can read it.  It shows you how to begin to repair your credit, recognize scams, and understand the importance of a credit history.
  • Charge It Right helps you identify characteristics of credit cards, understand the costs and benefits, and recognize potential problems with credit card use.
  •  Loan to Own describes the different types of consumer installment loans and helps you identify the right consumer loan for your needs.
  • Your Own Home describe the benefits and pitfalls of renting versus owning a home, asks questions to determine if you are ready to buy a home, helps you to identify different mortgage programs, and recognize basic terms used in a mortgage transaction.

Eligibility for a Family Savings Account:

  • Participation in the FSA Program is limited to recipients of TANF and other eligible individuals and working families whose earned income at the time of enrollment is not more than 200% of the official Federal Poverty Guidelines. Download the guidelines and compare your income to the 200% column.
  • Income includes all salaries, wages, dividends, interest, or other cash receipts for the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of enrollment.  Specifically excluded from consideration as earned income are welfare payments, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) payments, state or federal training program stipends.
  • Salary and wage statements, W-2 forms, signed statements from the County Board of Assistance, Social Security Office or the signed certification of the participant are adequate documentation of income eligibility.  Note: The signed certification of the participant shall be used solely when other forms of documentation are not obtainable by the participant.
  • An enrolled saver with an approved plan and account monitored by a service provider must fulfill the requirements of the approved plan for a minimum of 12 months but not more than 36 months.  The saver must present satisfactory evidence to the service provider on a quarterly basis that the savings requirements are being met to maintain eligibility for match funds.

For More Information

Contact Westmoreland Community Action or call 724-834-1260.

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Children in CircleCircles Campaign

WCA needs you!  We are looking for 15-20 families in Jeannette and Monessen to take part in the Circles Program as a Circle Leader.

While the US is the richest country on earth, 1 in 10 children in Westmoreland County lives in poverty.  We need to change that.

Circles is a strategy that seeks to change the mind-set of a community so that it wants to end poverty by changing goals, policies and approaches to work more effectively.

Westmoreland Community Action wants to empower people who deal with poverty in their lives every day to help us solve community problems while transitioning themselves out of poverty.

We're looking for Circle Leaders in Monessen and Jeannette - families who want to improve their situation and help others to understand the issues.

For More Information 

Contact Westmoreland Community Action or call Rebecka Andrae, 724-837-6339 ext 10.

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Tax formsFree Low Income Tax Service

In partnership with the Internal Revenue Service, WCA sponsors a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site that provides free income tax return preparation for taxpayers who have limited or moderate incomes, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

Our mission is to deliver every last cent to all those entitled under the current tax law. Special attention will be given to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other refundable items being ignored by as many as one-in-four eligible tax payers.

Staffed entirely by volunteers, there are currently 3 sites within Westmoreland County.

For more information on sites, schedules and required forms needed, please click here!

Eligibility for Free Low Income Tax Service:

You may qualify if you make less than the 200% column for your family size on the Federal Poverty Guidelines.  Download the guidelines and compare your income to the 200% column.

For More Information

Contact Westmoreland Community Action


Program Funding

  • The Family Savings Account program is funded by the PA Department of Community & Economic Development. 
  • Circles Campaign is provided by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, the PA Department of Public Welfare and The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County.
  • The Free Income Tax Service is funded by Pathways PA and AmeriCorps.

We Provide Services to Residents of Westmoreland County

At Westmoreland Community Action, we provide services to residents in towns and townships throughout Westmoreland County, PA including: Adamsburg, Alverton, Arnold,
Bolivar, Claridge, Crabtree, Delmont, Derry, Donegal, East Vandergrift, Export, Greensburg, Harrison City, Herminie, Irwin, Jeannette, Kecksburg, Latrobe, Ligonier, 
Lower Burrell, Mammoth, Manor, Monessen, Mount Pleasant, Murrysville, New Alexandria, New Florence, New Kensington, New Stanton, North Belle Vernon, Norvelt, Scottdale,
Smithton, South Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg, Stahlstown, Trafford, Vandergrift, 
West Newton, Youngstown, and Youngwood.

Townships in Westmoreland County include:

Allegheny Township, Bell Township, Cook Township, Derry Township, Donegal Township,
East Huntingdon Township, Fairfield Township, Hempfield Township, Ligonier Township,
Lower Burrell Township, Loyalhanna Township, Mount Pleasant Township, Murrysville Township, North Huntingdon Township, Penn Township, Rostraver Township, Saint Clair Township, Salem Township, Sewickley Township, South Huntingdon Township, Upper Burrell Township, Unity Township, and Washington Township

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