"ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS"

With the number of emergency assistance requests on the rise and limited resources for help in the mountain region, individuals and families are in critical need for relief. Hearts & Lives has responded to the deepening recession. Our roster of new clients seeking relief is not a crutch for the neediest. We have experienced “the next layer” of people who are finding themselves in crisis for the first time.

Upon assisting individuals and families with immediate and intermediate needs, it was evident that our community was lacking a system to assist families in the area of financial literacy services. With limited access to services in the mountain region, individuals and families are encouraged to take action in creating a life skills plan that provides the necessary steps to grow stronger by creating goals towards self-suffieciency. This program provides hopeful options, strong encouragement and measures stability of people finding themselves in a crisis. Our intent is to motivate people to make significant changes in their lives that will allow them to support themselves in the future.

Implementing this financial literacy program can also break the cycle of poverty. Individuals who have experience handling a bank account and an awareness of other effective money management/asset building techniques are more likely to pass these on to their children.

Hearts & Lives will implement the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Money Smart Adult Financial Education Curriculum into the Life Skills program. The Money Smart curriculum is appropriate for low-income audiences.   Clients participating in the Life Skills programs and services will be assessed by case managers. The program will give clients additional support in financial literacy skills and training to maximize their ability to maintain and sustain self-sufficiency. 

Hearts & Lives serves approximately 30 unduplicated households per month. Households represent a mix of individuals or families with children indicating unmet and/or emergency needs.

This program was selected because The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) recognizes the importance of financial education, particularly for people with little or no banking experience. Money Smart is a training program to help adults outside the financial mainstream enhance their money skills and create positive banking relationships.

Financial education fosters financial stability for individuals, families, and entire communities. The more people know about credit and banking services, the more likely they are to increase savings, buy homes, and improve their financial health and well being. The Money Smart curriculum helps individuals build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence, and use banking services effectively.

See link:   http://www.heartsandlives.org/