Have you ever tried to do something without any instructions and without any example to go by? It can be frustrating and overwhelming and the results are often not what you were hoping for. Now, imagine trying to raise children that way. Sometimes, young women find themselves pregnant or parenting in very difficult circumstances, without the guidance and support they need. For some, the results can be disastrous – leading to abuse, neglect, and eventually the involvement of Children’s Services.
Located just steps away from Kindred’s Mount Forest branch, Ramoth Life Centre was founded over 30 years ago by Terry and Brenda Tubman. It was created to be as a safe haven for young women and their expected or newborn infants, providing practical support with the hope of breaking the cycle of abuse for the developing generation. The supportive residential program uses a 3-step approach and has provided programming to over 190 young women helping them acquire the life skills required to raise happy, healthy children.
The young moms who come to Ramoth have oftentimes never witnessed healthy parenting practices, or practical and responsible life skills. “Many of our girls have grown up in and out of the foster system,” says Nereda Manion, Director of Programming at Ramoth Life Centre. “So, they have no role models for making the choices they need to make.” Learning about money management is one of those life skills that will have a huge impact on whether these moms succeed in meeting their children’s needs.
Kindred’s Tamara Bondy, a Senior Personal Lending Specialist in our Mount Forest Branch, was able to support the young women at Ramoth with CCUA’s Each One Teach One (EOTO) program. The EOTO program trains employees of Canadian credit unions to deliver financial education workshops in their communities. Workshops are delivered in plain language with the sole goal of empowering Canadians to take control of their financial decisions, goals, and plans. Their “Financial Literacy” course was a perfect fit for the needs of the young women at Ramoth.
Tamara taught the Ramoth participants lessons around banking, budgeting, contracts, credit, and investments. Income tax and insurance were also touched on. The five participants had lots of questions and were enthusiastic to learn good money management skills. Tamara reports that “one young woman totally embraced what she had learned and is now sticking to a budget, and has even purchased life insurance!”
Ramoth and Tamara plan to run another EOTO workshop beginning in August to a new group of young moms. Tamara sees this as a rewarding opportunity to pass on her wisdom, having done a lot of financial coaching through her job. In her 12 years with Kindred, she has helped countless folks purchase their first home, or turn around a bad credit score, and she sees the need to wider financial literacy in the community at large.
Giving someone a hand up can be very rewarding. EOTO and Ramoth House are giving young women and their children a brighter future through the supportive programming and financial skills that they need. And a big thank you to Tamara and other volunteers like her, who are helping young moms make peace with their money!