Over the past 12 months Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy has delivered a total of 11 community workshops on financial literacy that have provided direct benefit to 76 people.
Organizing and delivering the series of six community workshops in Williams Lake was hard work and would not have been possible without support from our local financial community.
Another important part of this program was the roaming information service that was delivered at many locations in and around Williams Lake. This outreach work has connected with more than 140 people seeking information or advice on financial literacy issues.
The current project ends on Nov. 23 this year, but CCPL is committed to seeking additional funding to deliver the program long term. There is still a lot happening before the end of the project, including a contest and a financial literacy symposium on Nov. 16 at Boitanio Mall.
The symposium will provide financial literacy information and offer workshops for seniors, families and youth.
The sixth and final community workshop ‘Be a Smart Consumer’ will be the last session of the day. More information on this free event and the contest will be coming soon.
How we spend and manage our money as individuals has a direct impact on the strength of our local economy; provides leadership to the next generation; and through responsible spending choices can have a positive impact upon our environment. So budget for the life you want to live and don’t let too much debt limit what you can achieve!
A very special ‘thank you’ goes to all the guest speakers: Bob Osmachenko (Community volunteer), Lyndsey Carter (Williams Lake and District Credit Union), Brian Purdy (PMT Chartered Accountants), Paul Eves (Scotiabank), Joanne Stacey (RBC).
Thanks must also be given to the Williams Lake Library and Women’s Contact Society for providing the excellent facilities in which to host the workshops and to all the local media groups who assisted with the awareness raising campaign: The Williams Lake Tribune, The Stew Magazine, The Rush and Shaw Cable and www.williamslake.com
For information and free confidential support, e-mail kirsten@caribooliteracy.com
If there is space, information for two small columns:
My favourite workshop feedback:
“Made me realize how much I’m losing on slurpees!”
“I enjoyed the workshop and how much money I could save and how much I have wasted.”
“Face reality – re – wastes / wants”
“I would like my husband to come to this workshop it will sure help with monthly payments.”
“Thank you for the information / awareness. I have very risky attitudes / behaviour about WANTS + unnecessary expenses.”
“I would like to do all these workshops. I wish I knew these tips before I got into debt.”
“This was valuable for me. Not to avoid my financial situation. Not to take cash out on my credit card.”
This project is supported by a grant from the TD Financial Literacy Grant Fund.