Margaret Jenkins
As part of Ohio Saves Week 2014, scheduled for Feb. 24 to March 1, Ohio State University Extension Clermont County is spreading the savings message and urging locals to participate in Ohio Saves Week.

Ohio Saves Week is an annual opportunity for organizations to promote good savings behavior and a chance for individuals to assess their own saving status.

“Ohio Saves Week is a great opportunity to help people in our community to Set a Goal, Make a Plan and Save Automatically,” said Margaret Jenkins, director and Family Consumer Sciences educator of Clermont Extension.

To help people save more successfully and encourage more Clermont residents to save, Clermont’s Ohio Saves campaign has been endorsed by Clermont County Commissioners. The campaign is also partnering with Park National Bank. Jenkins hopes other local banks and credit unions will join the campaign to promote saving behavior in the county.

Ohio Saves is offering events to help people build wealth, not debt. Jenkins will host a financial class at Workforce One in Eastgate, 756 Old State Route 74, on March 3 at 1 p.m. The class is free and open to the public.

Clermont County Extension offers financial and homebuyer counseling throughout the year, as well as 4-H youth development programs like Real Money Real World, a hands-on simulation to teach middle and high school aged students money skills. Call (513) 732-7070 to schedule counseling or a RMRW session for your group.

Ohio Saves Week is coordinated by OSU Extension, the Consumer Federation of America and the America Savings Education Council. Learn more, set your savings goals and sign up to participate at www.OhioSaves.org.

Clermont Extension is a non-formal education branch of OSU. The office merges needs of local citizens with OSU’s research through four focus areas: Family & Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources and Community Development.