Luz is our Financial Careers Facilitator and part of our Workforce Development team. In honor of Financial Literacy Month, she shares her favorite part about working at Association House, what inspires her work, and gives advice on improving financial literacy.
What is your favorite part of your experience with Association House?
It’s a one-stop-shop where individuals can receive support services and educational resources that can better their life. From the moment I had my first tour of our agency, I was shocked and amazed by all the services offered in our one-stop agency. Growing up in a low-income neighborhood, I lived and saw the needs of families struggling and in need of receiving services such as those that we offer here at Association House of Chicago.
What about your work inspires you?
Being the first and only college graduate in my family, I needed guidance in finding employment opportunities and navigating the workforce. I truly wish, I had exposure to workforce programs and mentors as a young adult. I understand the value of our offerings and have always had a passion for giving back and helping those in need. The Workforce program offers skills that I lacked and were desperately needed in my community. Throughout my life, I have seen many people with potential who just need a little training and guidance to increase their self-confidence and soft skills. As a Financial Careers Facilitator, I can provide those tools to help people build better opportunities for their families through our workforce programs.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to improve their financial literacy?
It’s never too late to learn about Financial Literacy - conversations around Financial literacy should start at a young age. Early discussions would encourage individuals to make wiser decisions and build better financial habits. If my family and I had more knowledge about finances, my parents could have purchased their first home sooner and created more financial wealth for themselves earlier. Learning how to manage and budget household expenses is critical at an early age. Credit can be established and repaired. You can ask for your FREE credit report by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. Your credit report is an important part of your financial life, it can determine whether you can get credit and how much it costs you to borrow.
How are you celebrating national financial literacy month?
We are working with our Workforce team at Association House of Chicago to prepare for our new Cohorts for our Financial Careers Program. Many individuals will be provided with financial tools and skills in the next upcoming weeks in regards to credit, budgeting, and savings.