Waukesha financial literacy program teaches SMART money goals

A group of people in Waukesha are continuing their financial education through a unique graduate program. Brett Lemoine explains how they are staying ahead with help from strangers in this month's Fox 6 Sense. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here. Once a month, this room at Waukesha's First United Methodist Church is packed. It's filled with dozens of people looking to continue their financial education. I actually heard about it from a friend. Kim, who asked we not use her last name for privacy reasons, is in the Staying Ahead program offered by St. Vincent DePaul of Waukesha County. I was able to get some financial guidance with my mom, which is good, because not everybody has that. So I did have that, but everybody still, like, I still went through different times in my life being a single parent where I struggled. It was impossible not to. Kim previously completed a 16-session course called Getting Ahead. We profiled that group last year on Fox Six Sense. Participants spent months putting together a personal financial plan. When they finish, they have an opportunity to continue on for another year in staying ahead. Even when people sign up for this workshop, we'll have people say, I don't have anyone I can list as my emergency contact. By the end of this, not only do they have an emergency contact, they have a mentor, they have a team who is celebrating their successes. Community Initiatives Director Jody LaChapelle says the big difference in the graduate program is that each participant is paired with a mentor. They really help you stay focused, keep you on track, and you're not, it's like a little boost when you just need it, you know, when you're ready to be like, okay, I did enough for this week. Then I'm like, well, I know I'm going to see her, you know, in a couple of days. It's that accountability. It is. I better make sure I'm working on this. Brett Lemoine takes us to the graduation that's paying off. When our original report aired, it had an impact we weren't expecting. I had heard about the program, and I was just recently retiring and thought, I come from a financial background. Jan Brazino was watching, and the next day called St. Vincent de Paul to become a volunteer. She wanted to share her decades of knowledge from working in banks with others. listening to the stories from the different people and they come from all walks of life they are extremely creative in making ends meet i think if everybody took a little bit of time to connect with somebody that's struggling we would be in a better world Lynn Toppich is another mentor with the program yeah i think it's actually easier to sit down and and work with a stranger if you want to say stranger you slowly become friends if you're faith-based one of the major commandments is love your neighbor as yourself well who's your neighbor to meet and everybody some of the people Toppich mentors are trying to overcome homelessness credit card debt or simply managing expenses each mentor encourages participants to set SMART goals SMART is an acronym and something each of us can incorporate into our own financial plans. Specific, measurable, achievable, related to the goal, and time-bound. We want to avoid it being like a New Year's resolution where you say, this year I'm going to make more money. Well, what does that look like? How much more? And where's that money going to go? And how are you going to do it? And so that's where having mentors who can walk with them in that process is really helpful. September monthly meeting for the graduate program. LaChapelle says 150 people have taken the Staying Ahead support program, and of those 150, a dozen have returned to take leadership positions like facilitators and mentors. Kim has a goal to become a homeowner. They're giving up their time to come through a program like this. It's appreciated. It's valued, it's appreciated, and they're part of my growth. She says these mentors impact her, which has a direct effect on Kim's kids, her family, her neighborhood, and community. Our whole goal for St. Vincent de Paul here is neighbors helping neighbors. We know that we can make this progress, right? With photojournalist Eddie Poser in Waukesha, Brett Lemoine, Fox 6 News. Next month, we are seeing how students are applying real-world money management skills in the classroom, how learning finances at a young age can help develop a lifetime of good habits, That's in November on Fox 6 News.