Volunteers Match Savings to Help Low Income Individuals

Volunteers proved it pays to save by presenting a check to a local woman struggling to survive on a low income.

Our Daily Bread treated its volunteers to Woody's ice cream last Monday for their hard work driving food, mentoring, teaching and coordinating efforts to help the needy in and around Fairfax City.

"We love our volunteers and could not do our work without them," said Lisa Whetzel, executive director of Our Daily Bread.

Acting ODB board chair Linda Lees presented Priscilla with a $1,025 check for managing to save $500 on a very fixed budget. ODB's Matched Savings Program began last spring through a $2,500 grant from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia and the help of Virginia Commerce Bank and Citigroup," said Whetzel. It is designed to encourage savings and improve personal financial planning to help moderate- to low-income individuals build productive assets and self-sufficiency.

Over the past year, Priscilla has completed ODB's Budget Class and Credit Smart course, worked with an ODB volunteer financial mentor to get her finances in order and has managed to save $500. ODB matched that savings to create a grand total of $1,000 for ODB client to use as a security deposit for a cheaper apartment.

Miriam, a single mom with four children who works full-time for Fairfax County, also completed the program.

"It helped me so much," she said. "I'm treating my money with respect now that I know about tracking my spending and how to avoid debt."