Whether they’re newly separated, trying to figure out finances for a growing family, or simply managing a complicated bank account, many people find dollars simply don’t make much sense at all.
K-W Counselling Services has teamed up with the Wilmot Family Resource Centre to coordinate a workshop for women in Wilmot, Wellesley and Woolwich townships called “Money and Making It On Your Own,” a series of sessions where women can gain information, ideas and support from other women in dealing with issues related to money.
“This is a great time for women to sit down and really look at things like our values and beliefs around money, around options for handling money, and how to stretch the dollars that we do have,” said Karen Dymond, coordinator of the Wilmot/Wellesley Family Violence Prevention Program.
The eight-week program includes information for women about self-nurturing, personal values, perceptions and myths about money, financial goals, money tracking strategies, designing and managing personal budgets, finding ways to reduce personal spending, understanding credit reports, credit cards as well as consumer rights. Topics such as financial abuse and family law will also be covered, alongside information about community resources that offer support for families.
“This program has been a gift for many of my clients who are separated and now responsible for their family’s finances,” explained program coordinator Cindy Hare.
Although the program is being run from nine locations in the Waterloo Region, the Wilmot Family Resource Centre is the only option for women living in rural areas; Dymond noted she is especially pleased about the workshop coming to New Hamburg as poverty is often swept under the carpet in areas such as this.
“When someone living in a rural area faces poverty, the issues can be compounded, and not easily understood,” she explained. “For example, if someone is accessing Ontario Works, but they need to go into the city to meet with their case worker, it can be very challenging and expensive to try and find transportation.”
And though the seminars do cover the topics of dealing with finances when on a limited budget, this is not the only demographic that can benefit from attending.
“It’s open to anybody, and it is aimed at helping people understand what their options are and how to feel more in control in that area of their life,” said Dymond.
The group will be offered at Wilmot Family Resource Centre on Thursday evenings starting Jan. 21. To sign up for the program, call Dymond at 519-662-2731, or to find other locations of the program which may be closer to your area, contact Hare by e-mail at cindy.hare@kwcounselling.com or by phone at 519-884-0000, ext. 220. The sessions are free to the public, and childcare can be provided if required.
