MISSION
Budget Buddies builds the financial literacy, confidence, and security of low-income women in Eastern Massachusetts through a unique program of one-to-one coaching and workshops that develop self-esteem and core money-management skills.
VISION
Empowering women with the life skills to control their financial futures
DESCRIPTION
Budget Buddies partners with local social service agencies and community volunteers to provide individualized training in basic money management. These agencies include:
- Acton Social Services
- House of Hope homeless shelter for women in Lowell
- Habitat for Humanity
- Program for teen Moms in transitional living facilities.
- Low-income women veterans.
- A New Program for Survivors of Domestic Violence Alternative House joins Budget Buddies partners
You do not have to be a financial wizard to be a coach. All you need is the desire to help someone in your community make the most of the money she has.
As a coach, you’ll provide ongoing, one-to-one support for your buddy — and Budget Buddies supports you in that effort. Your commitment, of about an hour per week over five to six months, includes:
- A genuine interest in working with low-income women
- Strict confidentiality for all your buddy’s financial and personal information
- Participation in a two-hour coaches’ orientation session
- Participation in 10 to 12 instructional workshops of 60 minutes each
- One or two client contacts between workshops of 60 minutes each
- Participation in our monthly Coaches Exchange group
Budget Buddies is looking for new coaches. At this time, per the request of their clients, all of their coaches are women. But they also need volunteers to help with many other parts of the organization — such as grants research, fundraising, Web site development, child care, and logistics.
Please call Budget Buddies at (978) 703-0820 for more information on volunteer opportunities, or email Peggy Papanastassiou at pegquince@gmail.com.
Budget Buddies’ website is www.budgetbuddies.org.