Corazón offers financial coaching pilot program

This fall we piloted a one-on-one financial coaching and cash infusion program with 50 low-income residents. Our two socio-economic impact coordinators, Nallely Ramirez and Leslie Gonzalez-Manzo, trained to become financial coaches through the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education®, before meeting with each program participant.

Each participant met with one of our financial coaches to complete an initial assessment, identify their financial goals and establish a trusting relationship where they could candidly share their financial struggles.

Based on the assessment, each participant was given personalized support to navigate the U.S. banking system, build up their credit, create a budget and to set realistic short-term and long-term financial goals. After attending three one-on-one coaching sessions, each participant then received $300.

This three-month series of coaching sessions was a pilot program funded by Sutter Health. Both financial coaches report that participants saw marked improvement in their confidence about financial issues. One woman who had been relying on her teenage children to help her log onto her online banking website has become such a pro that she’s been teaching her friends how to check their account balances too. Another participant had been saving for a house for years but didn’t know where to start the home buying process. He’s now pre-approved for a mortgage, knows what his budget is and how his potential monthly payment will impact his cash flow.

The knowledge our participants have gained and the small incremental changes they are making will have big long-term impacts on their lives and help create more financially stable families in our community.

Corazón hosts free classes on child nutrition

In a partnership with the Center for Well-Being, Corazón Healdsburg will host a series of three workshops for parents on child nutrition. As part of the parent education program, Soñadores, these classes will be in person (in Spanish) at the Healdsburg Community Center on June 22, 29, and July 6. Participation is free and open to everyone.

Nutrition specialists will talk about different topics, such as healthy food options and balanced meals. “We know that it can be really hard to get our kids to eat well. These classes are a great chance for parents to learn some workarounds”, says Lizbeth Perez, Corazón Healdsburg’s program coordinator for parent support.

To enroll in the classes, the parents can fill out a registration form through this link https://forms.gle/CGRQgnY66QPBYayS7 or simply call our office for more information: (707) 615-4567.

About Soñadores

Soñadores equips parents with the skills, information, and resources to support their children’s optimal development and education. In this spring calendar, there will be activities for parents of preschool – through high school-aged students to explore positive parenting and healthy relationships, early education options, nutrition, and resources to prepare families for summer.

Kinder2College Fund

Research shows that the expectations of children and young adults have a strong impact on whether or not they attend college. Saving for college helps children see themselves as someone who is college-bound.  It is with this meaningful research in mind that the Healdsburg Kinder2College Fund was formed.

The Healdsburg Kinder2College Fund (K2C) is a college savings initiative launched by members of the Healdsburg Community in partnership with Corazón Healdsburg. This innovative investment in the children of Northern Sonoma County provides every Kindergartner with a College Savings Account (CSA) with $100 in their name. For families that are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, an additional $50 will be deposited into the student’s CSA. In 2019, this program was expanded to include Geyserville, Alexander Valley and West Side Elementary Schools.

Fondo Kinder2College –

Las investigaciones muestran que las expectativas de los niños y los adultos jóvenes tienen un fuerte impacto si asisten o no a la universidad. Ahorrar para la universidad ayuda a los niños a verse a sí mismos como alguien que va camino a la universidad. Teniendo en cuenta esta significativa investigación fue creado el Fondo Healdsburg Kinder2College.

El Fondo Healdsburg Kinder2College (K2C) es una iniciativa de ahorro universitario lanzada por miembros de la comunidad de Healdsburg en asociación con Corazón Healdsburg. Esta innovadora inversión en los niños del Norte del Condado de Sonoma proporciona a cada niño de kínder una Cuenta Universitaria de Ahorros (CSA, por sus siglas en inglés) con $100 a su nombre. Para las familias que son elegibles para almuerzo gratis o con precio reducido, serán depositados $50 adicionales en el CSA del estudiante. En 2019, este programa fue ampliado para incluir las escuelas primarias de Geyserville, Alexander Valley y West Side.