Our Story
Mission
Empowering Financial Independence with CARE SC!
At CARE SC, we empower individuals and families with the knowledge and resources to achieve financial independence and stability. We offer free comprehensive financial education in a compassionate and inclusive environment. Through collaboration, advocacy, and dedicated service, we equip people with the skills to overcome financial challenges and reach their potential.
Vision
CARE SC envisions a community where everyone has equal access to the financial resources and education needed to thrive. We aim to be a beacon of hope, fostering financial resilience, empowerment, and positive transformation. Through dedication and innovative programs, we strive to drive social change and improve the financial well-being of our community.
Our History
“In 1997, five years into my role as a Federal Bankruptcy Jude in New York, I was stunned by the financial mistakes I saw daily among people from all demographics. Unlike earlier decades before credit cards and long-term loans, many lacked budgets, savings, and the ability to distinguish needs from wants, falling into significant debt and being exploited by financial institutions. I realized we faced a National Epidemic of Financial Illiteracy. Determined to help, I began visiting schools to share insights from bankruptcy court. By 2002, overwhelmed by my workload, I enlisted the Monroe County Bankruptcy Bar Association to join my efforts, creating the Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE) Program. By 2008, CARE had spread nationwide, aiming to combat financial illiteracy and empower young people to make informed financial choices.”
– Founder & Judge, John Ninfo
Meet the Board
Jane Downey
Since 1996, Jane has been certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a specialist in bankruptcy and creditor/debtor law and is certified as a mediator and arbirtrator. She is of counsel at Baker Donelson law firm. When she is not working, she may be found playing pickleball, hanging out on the beach, or kayaking down a local river.
Pamela Simmons-Beasley
Pam completed law school in 1993 and 2 years later opened her law practice with a concentration in consumer bankruptcy. For over 20 years she enjoyed helping her clients achieve a fresh start after financial crises that led to bankruptcy.
In January 2016, the U.S. Justice Department appointed Pam to serve as Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee for the District of South Carolina. In 2023 Pam was inducted into the American College of Bankruptcy, an honor reserved for those with a proven record of expertise, leadership, and service to their communities. She was a member of the South Carolina Bar, South Carolina Bankruptcy Law Association (SCBLA), and The J. Bratton Davis Bankruptcy American Inn of Court. She chaired a couple of national committees on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is a leader and volunteer with CARE SC, which is a national initiative designed to provide financial education to adults and secondary school-age students.
Pam retired in 2024.
Susan Ingles
Susan Ingles is a Senior Staff Attorney and Consumer Protection Law Unit Head for South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS), a statewide non-profit law firm where her practice is devoted to consumer protection law. As Consumer Law Unit Head for SCLS, Susie has collaborated with many groups to educate, inform and represent low-income clients, older Americans and other special populations. She is the creator and host of the webcast “Level Up Law” on the SCLS YouTube channel.
Before coming to SCLS in September 2004, she was in private practice in Greenville, S.C. and founder of the Ingles Law Firm. Susie graduated from Clemson University in 1979 and is a 1982 graduate of the Joseph F. Rice School of Law at the University of South Carolina. A member of the South Carolina Bar Association since 1982, she is a member and past Chair of the Bar’s Consumer Law Section.
Susie is a member of the S.C. Women Lawyers Association as well as the National Association of Consumer Advocates where she serves as state chairperson for South Carolina. She received the 2015 William Robinson Public Service Award from the S.C. Bankruptcy Lawyers Association, of which she is a longtime member, and the 2016 Ellen Hines Smith Legal Services Attorney of the Year Award given by the S.C. Bar Foundation and the S.C. Access to Justice Commission.
As a leader and volunteer with CARE SC, she provides financial education to adults and secondary school-age students.
Janet B. Haigler
Janet has practiced in the areas of bankruptcy, creditor rights, and commercial litigation for over thirty years. In 2014, Janet was appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee as a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the District of South Carolina. Janet has served as mediator for the Loss Mitigation/Mortgage Modification Program and for Chapter 13 valuation disputes. Janet is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a Specialist in Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditor. In October 2021, Janet was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. Janet volunteers for the CARE Program providing financial literary presentations to local schools and community groups. Ms. Haigler can be reached at Haigler Law Firm LLC, Post Office Box 505, Chapin, South Carolina 29036, phone number 803-261-9806.
Who Needs Us?
Our bankruptcy lawyer volunteers share real-life stories to provide your students with practical information, empowering them to make informed decisions and avoid choices that can have lasting effects on their financial future. At CARE SC, participants gain insights from these stories and learn directly from bankruptcy professionals through free, interactive sessions on budgeting, financial planning, student loan management, and more.