Turning Point: Financial Literacy (Cuiana)

My name is Cuiana, and I am a single mother with a 15-year-old daughter.

I heard about the YWCA Financial Empowerment program when I was searching for resources to help me achieve my dream of home ownership. I heard that the program offered graduates the opportunity for matched savings, and that seemed like a great incentive to enrolling in their financial literacy workshops.

Along the way I learned that I had a lot of hard work in front of me before I was ready to be a homeowner. I lacked savings habits, and my credit was a mess because I neglected to pay my bills on time. Even though I started the program because of the incentive of matched savings, learning how to pay myself first and save for the future was the most valuable thing that I took away from the YWCA Financial Empowerment program.

The program truly taught me how to take responsbility for my financial decisions, establish better financial habits, and repair my credit. Because I went into the program with a "ready to work" attitude, I was able to use what I learned to really change my financial behavior for the better.

Today I'm planning for the future, saving regularly and committed to financial stability. I save for home expenses regularly, so that I can budget for repairs and upkeep. I pay my bills on-time. I eat out less. I'm saving for college for my daughter and for my own retirement.

I'm so thankful to the YWCA because this program really came in to my life at just the right time and has helped me become so much more self-sufficient.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• YWCA
• Dallas
• Financial
• Literacy
• Empowerment