The Osprey Room at the Salvation Army Kroc Center buzzed with energy Wednesday evening as women chatted and their children chased each other between tables.
I stood at the back of the room, observing the interactions, in awe of each and every woman present. The families were no strangers to one another. They had spent the past nine months meeting twice monthly as part of Pathways to Prosperity, an innovative financial wellness program.
Created specifically for participants of the North Idaho College Center for New Directions, the curriculum was developed and taught by my two incredible and dedicated Lewis-Clark State College interns, Brittany Selle and Terri Simmons. It was made possible through a collaborative partnership between the Kroc Center, CND and Charity Reimagined.
The majority of CND participants are single mothers who are working hard to gain stability and self-sufficiency. We walk alongside them on their journey, providing wraparound support.
One of the top stressors for a single mother is money. Especially in North Idaho, where the cost of living is so high, many find themselves barely making ends meet.
While most financial programs are aimed toward middle class families, Brittany and Terri created a curriculum specifically for families living in poverty. They approached financial wellness from a holistic lens, encouraging participants to reflect on their relationship with money.
They taught the group about the concept of scarcity mindset: When we live in scarcity, we operate in survival mode. Planning for the future can feel impossible.
They shared how living in scarcity impacts our financial decisions, and they taught evidence-based tools on how to create meaningful, lasting change.
On Wednesday, families gathered to celebrate the completion of the program. After the kids were dismissed to the child care area, the mothers went around the room and shared the impact that the program had on them.
One shared that before joining, she was isolated. She felt like she was completely alone in her struggles. Through the program, she met a community of women who were experiencing similar hardship, but were determined to rise above their circumstances. She said meeting these women was transformative.
Another shared that for the first time in her life, she had a solid savings account. She said that during the session on savings, she learned realistic saving strategies she was able to implement in her life.
Another woman agreed with her, saying her car broke down a month ago, and she didn’t panic because she had money set aside in an emergency fund. She had never before had an emergency fund, and she described how freeing that experience was.
Financial wellness is freedom. Living in scarcity, praying there is enough gas in the tank to get your kids to school and to get to work, is exhausting.
Living under such stress and uncertainty impacts our physical and mental well-being. The good news: Financial wellness is achievable and there are resources in our community to help.
One of these resources is coming up June 9 at North Idaho College: a free, all-day conference called North Idaho Women and Their Money. When I was asked to join the planning committee for this event, I was thrilled.
My work through the CND has shown me just how important financial empowerment is, and this conference will offer financial knowledge and guidance to over 400 women in our community. There will be breakout sessions on many different topics, for women from all stages of life.
These include sessions on how to start your own business, how to create a budget, how to invest and plan for retirement — there is even a session on Pathways to Prosperity, led by yours truly!
We will end the event by giving away over $20,000 of scholarship money to attendees interested in pursuing higher education at NIC. The committee recognizes that education is directly linked to financial wellness; education is a pathway to financial freedom.
The amazing donors who have made this conference possible are investing in the women of our community. With registration closing June 1, I encourage you to share this opportunity with all the women in your life. I hope to see you there!
Register at NorthIdahoWomenAndTheirMoney.com.
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Louisa Rogers is the Program Coordinator for the Center for New Directions at North Idaho College.
