In seeking ways and resources to empower the communities served by Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, especially the working poor, we sponsored two training seminars in October entitled "The Four Cornerstones of Financial Literacy: Train the Trainer." These two- day sessions, held at area churches in Mesa and Phoenix, are designed for front-line workers and leaders who work with and guide working poor. The training educates these attendees to assist their clients in leaving the track of bad credit, poor credit, debt, and vulnerability to scams, and move them toward healthy financial practices.
The curriculum was developed and presented by Darryl Dahlheimer, program director of Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota Financial Services, to nearly 70 participants who can now serve as financial coaches. Funding for this vital initiative was provided primarily by a legacy gift from Christ the King, Phoenix, when they closed the congregation in 2013. Lutheran Social Services received this gift with deep gratitude and is pleased to use it in support of a program that will bring lasting positive impact for the working poor.
“Track your spending for 30 days. You might be interested in the leaks in your budget. ”
Participants note that the training provides them with tangible, concrete and reasonable steps that apply to people with very limited budgets. "These classes can take people from hopeless to hopeful," noted an attendee.
Additional classes will be offered in Mesa in 2015, led by coaches trained at the October sessions. For more information about the classes or future training dates contact Robert Sanders rsanders@lss-sw.org or Renee Bennett rbennett@lss-sw.org.