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 | | Wanda Lopez, United Way of Delaware; Dennis Campa, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Mary Dupont, $tand By MeŽ; Matthew Denn, Lt. Governor; Vivian Rapposelli, Secretary, Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families; David Lett, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services |
Latino Financial Empowerment Leadership Conference
Dennis Campa from the Annie E. Casey Foundation was the keynote speaker at the Latino Financial Empowerment Leadership Conference in September sponsored by Lt. Governor Matt Denn, United Way of Delaware, $tand By MeŽ, and the US Administration of Services for Children, Youth, and their Families. The event brought together over 60 Latino leaders who are dedicated to improving the lives of Hispanic Delawareans. The conference focused on building awareness about resources, information, and program opportunities that support financial empowerment. To follow up, these leaders will convene neighborhood meetings to ensure this information trickles down to the Hispanic community to help individuals and families in their quest for economic security. Additional pictures of the conference are posted on our Facebook page.
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 | | Vi Cade and Andrea Collins from the Christina School District and Autumn Price (in the middle), now a Delaware State University student, at one of our FAFSA events last year held at Sarah Sarah Pyle Academy |
YesYouCan Go to College!
$tand by MeŽ and the Christina School District have combined forces to help more students and families live their dreams! This multi-faceted program consists of an interactive series of events and activities to provide information and support to students and their families to plan for their future career and post-secondary education. This partnership will infuse students and families with a sense of possibility and inspiration around college and career success. A team of professionals from the middle and high schools and $tand By MeŽ are working together to customize a tool kit to remove the mystery surrounding applications for college and financial aid. Students and their families will have the opportunity to participate in the Bank at School program, "Mind Over Money" interactive workshops, College Fairs, Financial Aid/Scholarship Sessions, one-on-one help to fill out FASFA (Free Application for Student Financial Aid), dual enrollment at college campuses, and free one-on-one financial coaching, just to name a few. The details about these events are in the Upcoming Events box on our website.
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 | Financial Coach Moyé Goodson with two Students
from Delaware Technical & Community College |
Extending Our Reach
A grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has opened up the door for many more college students to have access to free one-on-coaching through $tand By MeŽ. Beginning this fall, these services are available at the New Castle County campus of Wilmington University. The program is also expanding its partnership with Delaware Technical & Community College by opening two new financial empowerment centers in Kent and Sussex Counties at the Terry and Owens campuses.
In addition, a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation will provide funding for a new financial empowerment initiative for child care providers. Funding will now support $tand By MeŽ for family childcare owners, childcare centers, and Head Start programs. If you are interested in linking with this initiative, please call Mary Dupont at 302-255-9245.
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 | | $tand By MeŽ coaches are ready to meet you! |
Collaborating with Our Partners
$tand By MeŽ partners with local non-profit organizations to deliver the program in each county. We are partnering with the following organizations: New Castle County - West End Neighborhood House, Kent County - NCALL Research, Inc., and in Sussex County - Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County, Inc. Each of these organizations have a successful track record and a reputation for results. Combined, they bring great resources, enthusiasm, and expertise to the $tand By MeŽ team.
Since 1883, West End has been improving the lives of an ethnically, economically and culturally diverse community. They employ a continuum of care approach to meet clients' comprehensive needs and encourage ultimate self-sufficiency. NCALL Research, Inc. has been in business serving the Delmarva Peninsula since 1976 specializing in affordable housing development, education and lending. NCALL also offers pre-purchase housing counseling, financial literacy, and default and foreclosure programs to the public. For more than 90 years Goodwill has been providing job training and placement programs to people with barriers to self-sufficiency. These three agencies epitomize the values of $tand By MeŽ, sharing our goals of financial empowerment.
Our impact is best summarized by Barbara Reed, Statewide Director of Field Operations
$tand By MeŽ/West End Neighborhood House:
Having the opportunity for our organization to be part of the $tand By MeŽ initiative has been a remarkable experience for our staff, customers, and community. This program develops positive relationships with our local community, area employers/businesses, our educational system, neighboring non-profit partners and state government. $tand By MeŽ employs a customer oriented approach and results driven strategy to increase the financial well-being of all Delawareans. West End is proud to be a lead agency for $tand By MeŽ and we look forward to continued growth and success for our customers.
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Kessie Hammond, a $tand By MeŽ volunteer
helping a student with his FAFSA application |
Engaging Volunteers Volunteers become involved with $tand By MeŽ because they believe in the power of helping others to help themselves. One of the key roles of the volunteers has been assisting families fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. For most people this is a daunting task, and for those helping them, it's an opportunity to open the door to college - for many the first in their families to take this path. For more information about volunteering click here.
$tand By MeŽ MyFree Taxes Campaign
In 2013, $tand By MeŽ is expanding its portfolio of offerings to include free tax preparation by participating in the MyFree Taxes national campaign. This campaign empowers taxpayers with a household income at $57,000 or below to access free tax services online at home or from any computer connected to the internet. By clicking on MyFreeTaxes.com (after January 1, 2013) taxpayers can e-file their federal and state taxes online.
From January through April 2013, $tand By MeŽ will join more than 100 community organizations in towns and cities across America, to make FREE web-based tax-preparation software and a volunteer staffed tax hotline available to low and moderate income taxpayers in Delaware who wish to prepare their own returns. Details of how to participate in the 2013 MyFree Taxes campaign will be available soon, so please stay tuned!
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 | | Volunteer, Steve Llanso talking with a student |
What Are Your Financial Hopes and Dreams? The Financial Planning Association of the Philadelphia Tri-State Area is Here to Help While some people want to buy a house, others want to send their children to college, and all of us want to retire comfortably. Whatever your dream, our financial coaches are there to help you. Now they have additional support from the Financial Planning Association of the Philadelphia Tri-State Area. Individual members of their pro bono group will talk to $tand By MeŽ coaches and customers who have questions that go beyond the basics of budgeting, savings, and managing credit to help them achieve their dreams.
United Way Campaign If you believe in the power of financial coaches to empower others to become more financially secure, please direct your United Way contribution to support $tand By MeŽ by choosing the code number 543.
National News Media features $tand By MeŽ
The News Journal featured a story about our partnerships with local employers to provide one-on-one coaching on-site. Here's the full story.
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 | | $tand By MeŽ - In Their Own Words |
Changing Lives Stella St. Juste has a winning plan for her life. By receiving a scholarship for young women aging out of foster care from $tand By MeŽ through a grant from the Fund for Women matched by United Way of Delaware; as a result of meetings about budgeting, savings, and creating a rainy day fund with her $tand By MeŽ Financial Coach; and with discussions with her $tand By MeŽ Ally, she is more confident about her financial future.
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