BATON ROUGE - Though the COVID-19 health crisis has triggered a global economic crisis, East Baton Rouge Parish leaders aren't leaving residents in the lurch. Instead, they've collaborated to help navigate locals through the precarious financial situations many are now facing. 

Earlier this month, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced that one helpful tool for residents would become available beginning Tuesday, April 14.

This new tool is a series of online workshops designed to assist with financial planning and to walk users through the process of applying for assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The series will touch on how families who receive stimulus checks, which will be distributed to qualified recipients beginning mid-April, can use the funds in the most effective way possible.

The schedule for the online series is listed below.

Online Financial Planning Workshops

-April 14-Demystifying COVID-19 Stimulus Checks

-April 16-Creating and Managing a COVID-19 Budget

-April 21-Securing Relief Services during COVID-19

-April 23-Breaking Down the Unemployment Process

-April 28-Creating a Game Plan for an Emergency Reserve

-April 30-Assessing Spending Habits During COVID-19 and Beyond

This new online series is available by way of the mayor's partnership with numerous local organizations such as Capital Area United Way, Hope Ministries, Junior League of Baton Rouge, Louisiana Jump Start, and the EmployBR Program.

Please click here to register for the first course in the series and click here for an in-depth overview of the series.