Did you know you don’t have to swing a hammer to volunteer with Wichita Habitat for Humanity?
Meet Monica Young, a volunteer budget coach. She works alongside future Wichita Habitat homebuyers, ensuring they’ll be successful homeowners. Budget coaches are a vital part of the Habitat program, which includes requiring all homebuyers complete 40 hours of financial literacy courses before they purchase their affordable homes.
“My main mission as a budget coach is to establish lasting relationships with families and make them feel comfortable enough to discuss their personal finances with me,” Monica said. “Once I’ve established trust, we begin to work together to ensure that all their needs are met to become a homeowner. I guide, support, and encourage families to create budgets, expense habits, and savings plans.”
In addition to serving as a budget coach, Monica recently created and presented a financial literacy course for youth ages 12-16 called “Pennies and Pizza.”
A dozen kids joined her on a Saturday afternoon to learn about budgeting, saving, and goal setting.
Volunteering as a budget coach is a perfect fit for Monica, a Planning Administrator with Keating & Associates/Converse Team. It is very meaningful for her.
“I volunteer because I am passionate about helping others become more comfortable with their finances and reducing their worries about their financial future,” she said.
Her happiest moments are seeing the people she’s mentoring grow in their budget skills. “It is humbling and satisfying,” she said. “I know I’ve done my job.”
Monica would like to encourage others to volunteer as budget coaches.
“If you are someone who keeps a budget, understands the importance of savings, and can effectively translate that to others, then becoming a budget coach is definitely for you,” Monica said.
If you’d like to know more about volunteering as a budget coach, please contact katharine@wichitahabitat.org
You can learn more about Wichita Habitat at www.wichitahabitat.org