Financial Inclusion Inventory: Community Education and Support Programs

5.1 Overview and Summary

Financial Education and Support Programs tend to emerge in response to an identified need in the community. Non-profit social service agencies are the primary provider of financial education / financial support programs for individuals with low-incomes. Usually these programs or workshop series are not the main focus of an organization, but are offered as one of many services or supports to individuals and families within the context of a broader range of services provided.

The financial education and support programs available in Waterloo Region are each unique. They range from short one-time workshops, to medium-term programs, to ongoing, relational supports that may work with an individual for several years.

Some of these programs are offered to anyone who seeks them, such as the Credit Counselling program at Mosaic Counselling and Family Services or the Financial Inclusion Outreach program offered by The Working Centre. Others are quite targeted for specific audiences, such as the Money and Making it on Your Own program geared towards women leaving abusive relationships, the Making Cents of Change program for refugee claimants, or the Dollars with Sense program for youth.

Agencies offering specific financial inclusion programs include:

Mosaic Counselling & Family Services
Junior Achievement Waterloo Region
Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre
Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support
KW Counselling Services
The Literacy Group
The Working Centre
Lutherwood

5.2 Programs

5.2.1 Mosaic Counselling & Family Services

Program	Credit Counselling	Since: >50 years ago	# Served in 2011: 426 one on one; 1500 total
		Funded: United Way, Donations from creditors, Fees from bankruptcy trustees, Fees from clients (most do not pay fee – sliding scale dependant on income)
Program Description	Four main services offered are: budget counselling, money management, advocacy, and education. This includes: Confidential financial counselling Education and information on money management Consumer repayment plan Repayment proposals to creditors Intervention and mediation to help resolve debt concerns Referrals to other agencies and services as needed Bankruptcy counselling Employee assistance programs Community education Speaking engagements http://www.carizon.ca/counselling/credit-counselling/money-management/
Seek to Serve	- Low Wage Individuals - Lowest Income Individuals -Life Change
Capacity to Serve	Approximately 1500 people annually. Weekly credit clinic group information session; individual appointments with a credit counsellor are set-up for attendees who wish to do so; telephone counselling is available; individual sessions available at Cambridge office
Eligibility	All welcome
Languages	English
Locations	Mosaic Counselling and Family Services Kitchener location: 400 Queen Street South Kitchener, ON N2G 1W7 Cambridge location: 1145 Concession Road Cambridge, ON N3H 4L5
Contact Information	Heather Cudmore or Credit Counselling Intake (519) 743-6333 ext. 235 http://www.carizon.ca/
Information Last Updated	March 2012

5.2.2 Junior Achievement Waterloo Region

Program	Dollars with Sense	Since: 2005	# Served in 2011: 1,020
		Funded : Corporate and individual donations
Program Description	Dollars with Sense provides students with experience they need to make better economic decisions. Students play an investment strategies game to learn about effective spending and how to avoid credit and debt pitfalls. Participants learn to: Link future goals and success to proactive financial planning Explore ways of investing to suit personal goals and needs Discover the advantages and risks of different investments Understand the tools and options available for better decisions
Seek to Serve	- Life Change (youth 12-16 years old)
Capacity to Serve	100s of volunteers; dependent on teacher/school interest and volunteer availability.
Eligibility	Any grade 7-10 class in Waterloo Region or Community Groups with children ages 12-16
Languages	English or French
Locations	All schools in the Waterloo Region area
Contact Information	519-576-6610 or www.jawaterlooregion.org
Information Last Updated	May 30, 2012

5.2.3 Junior Achievement Waterloo Region

Program	Economics for Success	Since: 2008	# Served in 2011: 5,040
		Funded : Corporate and individual donations
Program Description	Economics for Success (EFS) helps students explore and manage their job and career choices by focusing on the direct links between further education and personal goals. EFS gives students new perspectives on how informed choices today can benefit them in the future. The program seeks to help students: Understand how every opportunity is a stepping-stone to success Realize the financial constraints and demands of independence Develop employability and interpersonal effectiveness Identify resources needed to support a life-long career journey
Seek to Serve	- Life Change (youth aged 12-16)
Capacity to Serve	100s of volunteers; dependent on teacher/school interest and volunteer availability.
Eligibility	Any grade 7-10 class in Waterloo Region or Community Groups with children ages 12-16
Languages	English and French
Locations	Schools in Waterloo Region
Contact Information	519-576-6610 and www.jawaterlooregion.org
Information Last Updated	May 30, 2012

5.2.4 Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre

Program	Living on a Survival Budget	Since: 2001	# Served in 2011: 30-40
		Funded: Grant from Public Health, Region of Waterloo
Program Description	A 3-part program that offers supports to individuals in planning and making nutritious meals. *READY* program offers basic food handling skills. (6 weeks) *SET* program offers more advanced meal planning, budgeting, and meal preparation skills. (6 weeks) GO program offers ongoing group supports. Twice a month, the group meets to plan a meal, and then together they make and eat the meal. (on-going) The program is funded by the Region of Waterloo and is led by Peer Community Nutrition Workers.
Seek to Serve	- Low Wage Individuals - Lowest Income Individuals - Life Change
Capacity to Serve	45 people annually. Workshops run weekly, starting twice annually
Eligibility	All welcome
Languages	English
Locations	Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre 44 Francis Street Kitchener, ON N2G 2A2
Contact Information	Charla Adams, Registered Dietitian (519) 745-4404 ext. 242 www.kdchc.org
Information Last Updated	March 2012

5.2.5 Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support

Program	Making “Cents” of Change: Financial Resources for Refugee Claimants	Since: 2012	# Served in 2011: 9
		Funded: Grants
Program Description	This program supports refugee claimants to better manage their finances. It provides access to information about the costs of living in Canada and the Canadian financial system, coping strategies for living on a low income and accessing the resources available. It also provides support for creating and managing a budget while saving for future immigration related paper work, legal representation, permanent residence applications and travel costs for family reunification. Financial literacy workshops for refugee claimants provide participants with a resources manual on personal finance management. The workshops and manuals will be tailored for refugee claimants, and can be translated into multiple languages in order to increase accessibility. The program seeks to support refugee claimants to live within their means, understand the Canadian financial system, save for the future and learn to live with less.
Seek to Serve	- Life Change (refugees)
Capacity to Serve	Unlimited; workshops run approximately once a month
Eligibility	Refugee claimants
Languages	Multiple
Location	Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support (MCRS) 58 Queen Street South Kitchener, ON N2G 1V6
Contact Information	Jennifer Ardon, Support Worker (519) 571-1912 supportworker@mcrs.ca www.mcrs.ca
Information Last Updated	April 2012

5.2.6 KW Counselling Services

Program	Money and Making it on Your Own website (SINCE CANCELLED - Please use another resource on this list instead)	Since: 2012	# Served in 2011: Not available
		Funded: TD SEDI Financial Literacy Grant Fund - 2010
Program Description	Note from 2014: This program has since ended. KW Counselling is currently directing people looking for help to Mosaic (see above). You can also come in to the Working Centre's Money Matters & Housing Hub. KW Counselling Services operates an online resource that can be used freely by anyone, and seeks to serve women seeking to leave abusive relationships. Topics include: Understanding Financial Abuse Steps to Financial Independence Meeting Your Basic Needs Gaining Money Management Skills Understanding Credit and Debit Separating From Your Partner Money Management Tips for Couples This website includes resources that were developed for a program of the same name that ran from 2010 to 2011, offering supports to assist women achieve financial independence. Supports included one-on-one counselling and groups provided at no cost for women who are in, or have been in, abusive relationships.
Seek to Serve	- Low Wage Individuals - Lowest Income Individuals - Life Change
Capacity to Serve	Unlimited
Eligibility	Self-referred women who are in, or who have been in abusive relationships
Languages	English
Locations	KW Counselling Services 480 Charles Street East, Kitchener, ON N2G 4K5
Contact Information	(519) 884-0000
Information Last Updated	March 2012

5.2.7 The Literacy Group

Program	Money Matters	Since: 2011	# Served in 2011: 16
		Funded: TD Canada Trust
Program Description	This national program provides individual and small-group basic financial literacy supports. Money Matters group workshops are offered in four, two-hour money management units: • Unit 1: A Place to Start: Spending Plans • Unit 2: Banking Basics • Unit 3: Borrowing Money • Unit 4: RESPs and Other Ways to Save Groups are run by volunteers from TD Canada Trust and supported by local literacy organizations. Locally, the partner organization is The Literacy Group.
Seek to Serve	- Life Change (literacy students)
Capacity to Serve	Can serve up to 42 individuals in a year. Groups run whenever there are enough TD volunteers and interested participants.
Eligibility	Adult learners enrolled in literacy programs; referrals from other service providers
Languages	English
Locations	The Literacy Group Cambridge Location: 89 Main Street, Unit # 1 Cambridge, ON N1R 1W1 Kitchener Location: 151 Frederick Street, Suite 200 Kitchener, ON N2H 2M2
Contact Information	Carol Risidore carol@theliteracygroup.com www.theliteracygroup.com Kitchener Office: (519) 743-6090 Kitchener@theliteracygroup.com Cambridge Office: (519) 621-7993 Cambridge@theliteracygroup.com
Information Last Updated	April 2012

5.2.8 The Working Centre

Program	Money Matters Financial Inclusion Outreach	Since: 2011	# Served in 2011: 160 in first 3 mo.
		Funded: one-time grants from K-W Community Foundation (2010); Mennonite Savings and Credit Union (2012);TD SEDI Financial Literacy Grant Fund (2012-2014)
Program Description	Offers individualized support to navigate information and resources regarding money management. One-on-one responsive support is provided on a drop-in basis and/or by individual appointments. Individuals receive support with such things as building a relationship with a financial institution, budgeting, dealing with debt, and accessing community resources. Support is provided as needed, both for one-time meetings, and for on-going needs.
Seek to Serve	- Low Wage Individuals - Lowest Income Individuals - Life Change
Capacity to Serve	500 people annually. One-on-one ongoing
Eligibility	All welcome
Languages	English
Locations	The Working Centre 58 Queen Street South Kitchener, ON N2G 1V6
Contact Information	Sue Collison or Nathan Stretch (519) 743-1151 susanc@theworkingcentre.org nathans@theworkingcentre.org
Information Last Updated	May 2012

5.2.9 Lutherwood

Program	Rent Bank and Eviction Prevention Program	Since: 2001	# Served in 2011: 558
		Funded: Government of Ontario
Program Description	The program fulfills its goal of increasing housing stability in Waterloo Region through providing: Eviction prevention mediation support to both tenants and landlords Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) information for both tenants and landlords Rent Bank Loan Fund Support to access a variety of social assistance programs (e.g., OW, ODSP, CPP etc.) *Financial Literacy* In terms of financial literacy, provides a diverse menu of resources including the following: Deliver the financial literacy curriculum developed by the Canadian Centre of Financial Literacy for an economically vulnerable audience (SEDI). Canada Revenue Agency Volunteer Income Tax Clinic (CVITC). Review of participant’s budget and provide support through financial advocacy and problem solving. Assist participants to make informed longer-term financial decisions along with serving as a referral point for more intensive financial support. Providing pamphlets from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada such as, “The Cost of Payday Loans”, Opening a Personal Bank Account”, and “Making a Budget and Sticking To It”. In addition, “Money and Making it on Your Own”, was also introduced in 2011.
Seek to Serve	- Low Wage Individuals - Lowest Income Individuals - Life Change
Capacity to Serve	Drop-in services offered Monday to Thursday from 2pm to 3pm at the Kitchener location and Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm at the Cambridge location. Additional drop-in service offered at Lang’s Farm on Fridays from 9am to 11am.
Eligibility	Participants are screened to determine eligibility
Languages	English
Locations	Lutherwood 41 Weber St. West Kitchener, ON N2H 3Z1 Drop-in services available on a weekly basis at the following locations: 41 Weber Street West, Kitchener 35 Dickson Street, Cambridge Langs Farm Village Association 1145 Concession Road, Cambridge
Contact Information	For program information, contact : Darlene Boehm (519) 749-8305 ext. 1231 Or Denise Muill (519) 749-8305 ext. 2225
Information Last Updated	March 2012