Times are tough. We’ve all seen the headlines and heard the news reports, and most of us even have personal anecdotes that illustrate just how tough times have gotten.
The economic climate has people worried, but is there anything we, as advocates and stakeholders, can do about it? That was the topic of the DC Women’s Agenda’s most recent Lunch and Learn forum for member organizations and interested parties.
Attendees met at Catholic Charities to hear from guest speakers Linda Stoman and Meg Newman from Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) on the organization’s educational outreach programs and the Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition.
The presentations empowered participants to feel that they can do something about the effects of the economy by educating and advising the public on ways to control their personal finances and become financially proactive and literate. Some of the main points included:
- Look at your expenses through the critical eye of “need” versus “want.” Do you really need a texting plan on your phone or the sports package for cable or can you survive without it?
- Guard your personal and financial information vigilantly—don’t share social security numbers or account information if you can avoid it. Identity theft is on the rise, and the victims usually know the thief.
- More and more employers are running credit checks on potential employees to determine their character. If there is a significant life change that adversely affected your finances and credit, add a notation to your credit report explaining what happened.
- While a lot of these tips are good sense, they need to become common sense. Organizations across the District have built curriculums and programs to encourage financial literacy amongst teens and adults. Some of the recommended resources highlighted at the event were Lady Legacy for teen girls, the Institution for Financial Literacy for adults, as well as the DC Saves Campaign, a program that provides savings matches to encourage D.C. residents to save money towards their education or home ownership. The flagship of finances itself, the FDIC, is also playing a key role in the field of financial education.
The Lunch and Learn was a tremendous success and characterized the benefits of bringing together D.C.- based organizations. As a result, there is now a major partnership underway between the FDIC and D.C. public schools to integrate a financial literacy program into the city’s schools this summer.
Carrie Shepard is an intern at Wider Opportunities for Women, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.
The DC Women’s Agenda is a broad-based coalition that promotes women and girls’ equality, advancement, safety, and well-being through advocacy, education, and community input. DC Women’s Agenda is a project of Wider Opportunities for Women. For more information, please contact Debbie Billet-Roumell, Coordinator, DC Women’s Agenda at DBRoumell@wowonline.org or 202-464-1596.
CAAB is also a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.
