Donishea Patterson, a single mother to a four year old, will be the first to save for a home since the United Way of Frederick County and the Frederick County Department of Housing started the Prosperity Account Savings program partnership in March 2018.

Ms. Patterson had been a part of the Prosperity Savings Account program since September 2018. Using the Prosperity Center program, she was able to quickly save enough and take the fast track to purchasing a home for her and her daughter. This has been a dream for Patterson ever since becoming a mother at the young age of 19.

“After becoming a mother when I was just 19 years old, I knew that owning a home was something I needed to do, but it was so expensive,” said Patterson. “It got to the point that renting in Frederick County was so expensive, that once I was able to take the step to further my education a bit, I felt ready to take this next step with the Prosperity Saving Account program.”

The Prosperity Center’s Prosperity Savings Account program allows those individuals who want to purchase a home to save a maximum amount of $2,200 and in the end receive a 4 to 1 match. This will allow qualified individuals to graduate the program with a total of $11,000 to be put toward a down payment on a home.

“74 percent of single mothers are ALICE and living under the survival threshold,” Says Ken Oldham, CEO of United Way of Frederick County. “All of our savers who have completed the homebuyer program are single mothers, which shows that this program is essential and making a difference in our community.”

According to the ALICE Report (unitedwayfrederick.org/ALICE), more than one in three households struggle to afford basic human necessities in Frederick County. The Prosperity Center helps ALICE families by providing quality programs that help them achieve financial stability. To date, The Prosperity Center has helped nine families purchase homes.
For more information about The Prosperity Center at United Way of Frederick County, visit ProsperityCenter.org. For questions regarding the program, contact James Baker at
gro.kcirederfwu@rekabj or 301-663-4231.

About The Prosperity Center
Using the collective impact model, the Prosperity Center uses a holistic, integrated approach to improving the financial security of Frederick County residents. We function as a one-stop hub to allow community members access to a wide range of services, including income supports, employment and education services, financial education, asset building services, and more.
The Prosperity Center opened its doors in April, 2014. Located in the Bernard W. Brown Community Center on North Market Street in Frederick, it is a partnership among the United Way of Frederick County, the Housing Authority of the City of Frederick, and the Frederick Coalition for Financial Success (FCFS). Current services include the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, Prosperity Savings Accounts, free financial education classes, and access to an array of community resources.
Connect with us on social media by visiting Facebook.com/ProsperityCenterFrederick.