The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston’s Project LEAD in action at Yes Prep.
“Women who control their money control their destiny” is the philosophy of The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston. At some point, roughly 90% of American women will have sole responsibility for their finances because they are unmarried, divorced, or widowed.
Executive director LaTanya Flix said, “I believe the age-old adage that knowledge is power. Basic financial knowledge enables women to take control over their lives, but we continually find that it isn’t being taught at home or school. Basic financial knowledge is critical in helping women be successful.”
The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston educates women, girls and families about banking, saving, budgeting, credit management, and investment planning. Statistics show that five out of seven women will live alone after the age of 65. They will live until an average of 80 years and are typically unprepared for the financial responsibilities that accompany this independence. Classes are presented to a broad audience that includes: women on welfare, women in transitional housing, professional women, onsite during the work day, and to youth at public and private schools.
“The classes were very enjoyable to me with a lot of information, and I think they were beneficial to everyone in the Women’s Home.” said 58-year-old Pam, who is going through a period of transition. “There were several teachers who came to the Women’s Home during the course of the financial program.”
“They were well-prepared and gave us handouts and explained the importance of a credit report and paying yourself first. I had gotten into trouble with drugs and alcohol, and I was also in trouble financially. Now, I’m employed, and with the Second Chance Program, I was given a checking account and a savings account using direct deposit.”
The free financial education classes provided by The Women’s Resource have been proven to work. Research has shown that the Money Smart™ curriculum had positive effects on individual financial behavior many months after the class has been completed. A 2007 longitudinal evaluation of the curriculum found that it led individuals to open deposit accounts, save money in a mainstream deposit product, use and adhere to a budget and be more confident about their financial abilities.
The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston’s Program Manager Janet Soto takes the organization’s mission to the business community at the 2009 Business Expo.
Project LEAD
Another financial education program of The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston is Project LEAD (Leadership, Education and Development) for at risk 9th and 10th grade girls. It is the only program in Houston that seeks to improve outcomes for high school girls who are at risk by combining “soft skills” training necessary for professional success with the hands-on financial education that is critical for personal success.
Madison High School student Ana participated in the 10-week Project LEAD last semester and said it was awesome. “The teacher taught us financial literacy, how to be effective leaders and how to feel good about ourselves,” said Ana. “I’m a shy person and our teacher was really friendly and understanding of things. She didn’t push you to say anything out loud that you didn’t want to say. She made sure the environment of the classroom was safe and private so anything you said wouldn’t go out of the classroom.”
Project LEAD provides financial education, leadership development, and career exploration. Using an interactive curriculum that includes personal reflection and writing, games, skill building, guest speakers and simulation exercises, LEAD addresses each girl’s need to develop the characteristics that will make her successful despite her current situation. Weekly topics to be addressed through the LEAD curriculum include: Values and Decision Making, Goal Setting, Creating a Personal Financial Plan, Crating a Budget and Savings Plan and Choosing My Path.
Ana related how the class taught her importance of money -- how to budget and how to save money by paying themselves first. Each girl was given an envelope and was told to pay themselves first whenever they got any money -- a dollar a day – for a short or long-term goal. They also learned how to use a check register and balance a checkbook to keep track of every dollar spent.
“I really do feel I’m very lucky to have been part of it,” said Ana. “It’s an experience I wouldn’t have traded for anything else.”
2009 Volunteer of the Year
While working at BBVA Compass Bank, Lucretia Jelks learned about Project LEAD through a casual conversation with a staff member of the organization who happened to share the same building. “I love to teach,” she said, so with her banking experience, it was a win-win situation for both Lucretia and The Women’s Resource.
Executive Director LaTanya Flix, 2009 Volunteer of the Year Lucretia Jelks, and Program Manager Janet Soto celebrate another year of empowering women with financial knowledge.
Lucretia has been a volunteer with The Women’s Resource for two and a half years and was recently named the 2009 Volunteer of the Year. “The best thing about volunteering is knowing that I’m making a difference.” As a bank employee, Lucretia sometimes has the unfortunate experience of assisting upset customers whose finances are in disarray because their account is overdrawn. She likes to think of her volunteer work as “preventive medicine.” “For the young people, hopefully, they won’t have to go through this predicament,” she said.
Although she was used to teaching adults, her first class as a volunteer was at Neighborhood Centers, Inc. where she went in expecting to teach adults, but instead found herself in front of a group of middle-school-aged kids. She just adapted to their level. “It’s never too early to teach them to ‘pay yourself first,’ instead of spending all their money. They learn the importance of balancing a checkbook and saving whether it’s for a short-term or long-term goal.”
It’s rewarding “when something in their eyes change, and I know I’m reaching their mind. That’s a high for me. I love it.” Lucretia was surprised one day when she realized her respect for the value of a dollar had carried over to her son. “He actually went out and sold an old pair of tennis shoes that he had kept in good condition,” she said with a laugh.
She has also taught adult women and a few men at Neighborhood Centers, Inc. locations, libraries, halfway houses, and the Harris Country Women’s Jail. “I’m like Johnny Appleseed,” she said. “I’m just planting some seeds, and I know they’re going to come up and grow. The information is here -- you don’t have to pay anything -- we’re here to give it. It’s an awesome organization; it truly is.”
The free financial education classes are taught by trained volunteers in English and Spanish and last from one to one and a half hours. To learn more or become a volunteer or member, please visit www.thewomensresource.org.
Celebrating Our 20TH Anniversary Infinite Possibilities
The Greater Houston Women’s Foundation was established in 1990 by a group from Texas Executive Women who were concerned that less than five percent of philanthropic dollars were dedicated to women and women’s causes. Guided by the principle that a woman who controls her finances controls her destiny, the organization created a series of free, financial education seminars for women and girls from all socio-economic backgrounds with particular emphasis on low and middle-income populations.
In 1992, the foundation presented their first grant awards to local agencies that specifically addressed the needs of the city’s women and girls and also commissioned an annual research study on topics of significance to Houston’s female population.
In 2003, the Greater Houston Women’s Foundation stopped making grants and shifted resources to collaborative partnerships that furthered their mission. The organization changed its name to The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston (TWR) to reflect the organization’s new focus.
While much has changed over the past 18 years, the guiding principle that women who control their money control their destiny remains constant and key to their work. This year, they celebrate their 20th anniversary, and to date, they have:• Provided financial education to over 13,000 individuals;
Published ten significant research papers authored by some of the city’s leading
universities; and
Awarded over $800,000 in grants to 80 agencies and programs benefiting
women and girls.
The original goals of TWR remain much the same today as twenty years ago. They are:
To help women become economically self-sufficient;
To encourage prevention and early intervention of problems affecting
women and children;
To support programs that help to develop and improve life skills;
To actively involve women in philanthropic decision-making; and
