Wednesday, July 17, 2013

July: Integrating Financial Education with Civic Engagement

In January 2013, the UNL Student Money Management Center (SMMC) received a call from Kyle Winchell, the Director of the Women's Shelter at the People's City Mission, a local homeless shelter. Kyle, a former UNL student, had once visited with a Peer Money Coach at the UNL SMMC, a visit he says changed his perspective on money management. He was looking for someone to teach personal finance classes to his residents to help them change their own relationships with money.

For five Wednesdays in the spring semester, volunteers from the Student Money Management Center taught residents at the mission how to manage their finances. Erin Wirth, director of the SMMC, said while the People’s City Mission residents aren’t the center’s usual demographic, the class taught both her and the residents life lessons.

“They have made financial mistakes in the past, and they didn’t have help,” she said.

Kara Cruickshank, a senior child, youth and family studies major, helped with the class. She said the people who take the class are vocal about what they need and about what they already know.

Cruickshank said she’s seen that many people at the mission are there for reasons they couldn’t control — identity theft, embezzlement and medical emergencies.

“They’re really trying to remedy those situations and do their best, for not only themselves, but their families too,” she said.

Cruickshank, who has volunteered for as long as she can remember through various organizations, said the semester project has opened her eyes to other people’s situations.

“There’s a lot of times it’s hard to relate to an experience because you’ve never had it,” she said. “But now you have a face opening your eyes to a different experience.”

Media Publication: Daily Nebraskan