1. Residents Saving Money, Reducing Debts
2. Staff Apply the CREED in Times of Crisis
3. Teamwork Among Agencies Meeting Needs of Homeless
4. The Recovery Games: My Personal Olympics

Residents Saving Money, Reducing Debts
By Kimberla Weaver – St. Vincent de Paul Village

   Since March 2002, residents living at St. Vincent de Paul Village have been required to save two-thirds of their family income in the Village’s Mandatory Savings Program (MSP).

Caption: JKC resident Juana discusses her savings plan with residential specialist Delva Scavo.

   Father Joe encouraged Residential Program Manager Bernie Miles and Residential Supervisor Kimberla Weaver to develop policies and procedures for MSP, which has enabled many clients to save from $300 to $2,300 before graduating from the Village.

   " Working the savings plan is a very important Village experience," says Father Joe. "If we can teach our clients to make budgets while they are here, they’re going to have a better chance of handling their money more wisely after they leave."

   Juana, a member of one of the 49 families that successfully used MSP in its first year, firmly believes in the savings program. "I think MSP is a-okay because it helps us to save money," says the short-term transitional housing resident.

   Married with three children, Juana has been able to save about $2,000 since coming into the Village program in October 2002. "When you’re out in the real world, you’re not going to save that much. It’s a good thing since now we can pay off some of our debts."

   In addition to a savings plan, MSP includes a phase for debt reduction. When a resident reaches the goal of $2,000 in savings, the next step is to pay off any outstanding debt with funds that usually go into the savings plan, according to Miles.

   The savings program involves members of the residential staff sitting individually with clients to develop a family budget of expenses while living at the Village. "The budget includes such categories as transportation, hygiene and laundry products, storage and child/baby necessities," notes Weaver. "When clients meet their plan goals, they are given monthly awards at our resident house meetings. The awards are a source of pride for them."

   Residential staff members take pride when clients succeed with MSP. "It’s a great pleasure for us to help families make the transition from dependence to self-sufficiency and to know we’ve provided them with a first-hand experience in successfully managing their money," says Miles.