Growing up, I did not have an ideal relationship with money. I was never taught how to manage my finances or how to budget and save for my future. When I did become financially stable through my job, I was at a loss on the right steps to take to save, budget, and plan for my family’s future. By joining WANDA, I gained the resources and support I needed to help set me on the path to financial freedom.
The past few years have been difficult for me as a mother—going through a divorce, and now having to take on more financial responsibility for me and my children. This shift in my life caused a huge burden on me financially, making it difficult to keep up with bills, rent, and the ever increasing cost of living in the Bay Area. Thankfully, my mentor at the Moving to Work program told me about WANDA’s special Measure K Rental Assistance program for San Mateo District 2 residents, and I applied.
The rental assistance program helped me tremendously during this time in my life. I was able to catch up on bills that stacked up during my divorce, and pay for car repairs without having to worry about paying my rent. It also led me to WANDA — jump starting my path to learning more about money management.
Becoming a part of WANDA, I was inspired by the support I received and the connections I made with the staff and the other mothers. Connecting with Blanca Medina, WANDA’s Manager of Education and Partner Outreach, not only opened my eyes to the success I could have despite my background, but also gave me a safe place to reflect on my experiences and break some of the mental strongholds I had about money management.
What I really appreciate about WANDA are their accountability practices. While WANDA doesn’t have someone physically talking to us each day, the periodic check ins reminding me to stick to my savings goals and to be responsible with my money are a game changer.
WANDA’s support and teachings have also helped me continue to grow as a person and use what I’ve experienced in life and learned through the program, to not only help my kids but others I know. From budgeting tips to mentorship, this program has given me the foundation I needed to start investing in my success financially.
I want my children to learn from my experiences and have the budgeting skills to make smart money decisions so they don’t struggle with money the way I did. I hear it said all the time; being financially free is having power to be able to tell your money where to go, not your money telling you where to go. That’s something I’m trying to teach my children, so that they can have the right resources and support to be financially free too.