Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
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Sunday, August 23, 2009
By HOLLY KOZELSKY - Bulletin Accent Editor
Not only is an upcoming personal finance class free — it offers incentives to students who take it.
HOPE Initiative is taking registration now for the class “Financial Coaching for Women” from Sept. 29 through Dec. 12. Meals will be provided, as well as child care and transportation if needed. Participants who complete all eight workshops and assignments from Oct. 1 through Nov. 19 will receive a $100 gift card to WalMart.
“Money is not a simple issue and there is not a simple solution if you are struggling with how to manage it,” said class coordinator Alicia Solomon, director of HOPE Initiative. “It takes time to understand its principles and encouragement to change our behavior and relationship with it.”
The class is designed to help people understand money and their relationship with it, and give them power over it, she said.
Solomon shared this comment she received from one woman who signed up for the class: “Thanks, I’ve just registered and I’m so excited. I’m ready to make that change. To break that spirit of poverty for me, my family, and generations to come. Oh, this is just the beginning!”
The class sessions will be held from 6-8 p.m. each Thursday night for eight weeks at Patrick Henry Elementary School in Martinsville. There will be about two hours of homework a week. The classes will be comprised of a series of workshops that include interactive learning and “a safe, positive environment for discussion,” Solomon said.
The class will cover psychological aspects of money management, such as “where we learn about money, why we spend the way we do, how to change spending patters and how to use our income to get what we want out of life,” Solomon added.
“Taking Charge: Of Your Money, Your Life and Your Future” will be the workbook the course follows.
The course agenda is:
• Sept. 24: Introduction (6-7 p.m.)
• Oct. 1: Me, Myself and My Money
• Oct. 15: Success with My Money
• Oct. 22: The Basics of Credit and Debt Part 1
• Oct. 29: The Basics of Credit and Debt Part 2
• Nov. 5: Personal spending and savings plan
• Nov. 12: Savings and asset building
• Nov. 19: Creating a personal success plan
• Dec. 12: Dinner and celebration
The United Way of Henry County and Martinsville’s Vision Council are funding the program. The class size is limited to 20 participants.
To register for the class, call 403-5965 or visit www.unitedwayofhcm.org. |
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