Our Stories
Paula's Story
A couple pay stubs. A photo ID. That’s all Paula needed to get a payday loan to cover a car repair. Simple enough, right? Not quite. The loan was then due back in full in two weeks. In theory, Paula could cover it with her next paycheck. In reality, Paula was living paycheck to paycheck. Her Read more Paula's Story
Deb’s Story
Fifteen years ago, Deb took out her first payday loan. At that time, she was able to repay and move on. After a recent medical emergency, she once again turned to payday loans. But this time was different. The payday loan brought a flicker of financial relief, but that spark faded fast as she quickly Read more Deb’s Story
Tyren’s Story
Tyren McGruder, center, is grateful for financial help from Exodus Lending. He is shown with Meghan Olsen Biebighauser, Exodus’ (former) interim director, and Adam Rao, its founding director, now an MBA student at the University of Minnesota. Tyren McGruder, a working-class single dad, has emerged from the debt trap of payday loans thanks to Holy Read more Tyren’s Story
Sarah's Story
One missed payment of $200 became $400 plus late fees. That’s the reality that Sarah K. quickly had to grapple with after taking out her first payday loan. When Sarah came to Exodus Lending she had been in the payday loan cycle for about a year. There was no big crisis in her life but she reported that because Read more Sarah's Story
Brian & Tammie's Story
“Your wife has a broken neck,” those are the terrible words Brian F. was confronted with the day his wife got into a serious car accident. Up until that moment, Brian and his wife Tammie had shared all their financial responsibilities together. They bought a house together and they paid house payments and all other bills together, Read more Brian & Tammie's Story