The Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) is the first municipal office of its kind in the nation. Its mission is to educate, empower, and protect low income New Yorkers. OFE volunteers work in one of five major areas: VITA tax preparation, "Your Money Helpline" to provide advice over the phone, one-on-one counseling at Financial Empowerment Centers, outreach assistance and community events, and research assistance to administer surveys, conduct interviews, and manage data. Since its launch in 2006, OFE is credited with helping more than 25,000 individuals gain control of their finances, enabling clients to pay down more than $14.7 million in debt and build more than $2.4 million in savings, and providing free tax preparation services that have brought more than $1 billion in refunds to over 90,000 New Yorkers.