Financial PEOPLE Project
United Way of Skagit County Financial PEOPLE Project PEOPLE is an acronym for Peers Empowering Others by Providing Leadership and Education. By Rita Ordóñez The Financial PEOPLE Project continues to be a powerful way of uniting Skagit County to build a positive and sustainable quality of life. During October-November 2021, Financial PEOPLE Project peer leaders and local bankers held a six-week Zoom financial education session for students from the Anacortes Family Center, Skagit Habitat for Humanity, Skagit/Islands Head Start, and the Housing Authority of Skagit County. Students learned about budgeting, debt reduction, bank services, credit, loans, and saving for retirement and education. Each student received a binder of materials, an accordion file for collecting documents, and $80 in gift cards. Fourteen students graduated and received a Skagit Asset Building Coalition certificate; six received one high school completion credit from Skagit Valley College. On their final evaluations, all participants said they will use what they learned to improve their financial situation and share what they learned with others. As a result of taking the course, the majority of students reported they would: • Stick to a budget
Justice Project to try and get this removed. This is an amazing course to take. I really wish I would have had this class when I was in high school. It would have been a lifesaver. I am actually currently still using the budgeting spreadsheet that was provided in the binder.” The Financial PEOPLE Project has a 74% completion rate; fifteen Peer Leaders and 171 students have graduated since the program began in 2017. Sessions in English and Spanish are planned for February-March 2022. The United Way is currently seeking additional funding to train another group of peer leader volunteers.
• Save for emergencies • Review their credit report • Take steps to improve their credit • Avoid payday loans • Pay off debt • Carefully consider the interest rate, monthly payment, and terms for any loan before taking it • Save for retirement One graduate remarked: “Thanks to this class I was connected with someone from Community Action who is helping with some collection issues I have. He is currently helping me get in contact with the Northwest 4
May 2022
UnitedWaySkagit.org
