CONTACT:
Unique Center for
Working Families Opens in East St. Paul
Center “bundles” financial education, employment coaching and access to
public benefits to build family and community stability
It’s estimated that one in
four American families is low-income and struggling financially, according
to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
A unique project developed
by this foundation opened March 1, 2007 at the John A. Johnson Elementary
School in East St. Paul to help lower-income families achieve financial
stability by intentionally “bundling” core services believed to be
essential in helping families succeed, such as job readiness skills,
career laddering and advancement skills, job interview coaching, job
placement assistance, one-on-one financial counseling, money management
skills —including budgeting and debt management — and access to public
benefits to help families overcome personal setbacks.
Called the East Side Center
for Working Families, the unique, one-stop neighborhood service concept is
the first of its kind in Minnesota that focuses on helping families
increase their income, reduce their financial transaction costs, and
generate financial stability for themselves and their communities. There
are just 12 other centers like it nationally.
“Nationwide, this model has
great potential to help families connect all the dots that are important
in gaining financial stability, especially the financial education piece
of the puzzle,” explained May Xiong, program manager for Lutheran Social
Service of Minnesota, which manages the new center. “We are working with
several community partners who are experts at coaching families
successfully in various areas of their lives. Our challenge now is to get
the word out to people who could benefit from this new concept.”
In the neighborhood
surrounding Johnson Elementary, median household income ranges from
$30,400 to $39,000. Organizations working with Lutheran Social Service to
provide employment coaching and public benefits assistance include the
East Side Family Center, part of the East Side Neighborhood Development
Company, and Employer Solutions, Inc.
“So often, parents are
holding down jobs with low wages and going to school at the same time,”
Xiong explained. “When an emergency occurs or family setback, school is
often the first priority to go. We want to help these families get past
the bumps in the road, stay in school or keep their jobs so they stay on
track and move up the ladder financially. With more adults working and
building assets, families develop stability and communities become better
places to live.”
Xiong also underscored sound
money management skills as key in family success. “Ironically, low-income
families who can least afford it end up paying for high priced financial
products, such as check cashing services that put them even farther
behind,” she said. “This service will help families learn how to budget,
save and plan for emergencies, as well as become savvy users of financial
services.”
The Twin Cities Local
Initiatives Support Corporation, or LISC, helped bring the Center for
Working Families to St. Paul. Deanna Foster, Program Director, said “The
East Side Center for Working Families is a great partnership and a
promising model that can begin to address the financial needs of families
in the neighborhood who are already striving to make this community a
great place to be. We are proud to be a partner with the Annie E. Casey
Foundation and the community on the opening of this exciting effort.”
Since March 1, a handful of
families whose children attend Johnson Elementary have been served, but
Xiong said she hopes to get the word out to more families in the community
that could benefit from the center. A community celebration is planned for
May 2 for funders and key supporters.
The East Side Center for
Working Families is made possible through resources and the collaborative
work provided from the following organizations: Annie E. Casey Foundation,
Twin Cities LISC, The McNeeley Foundation, Payne-Lake Community Partners,
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and East Side Neighborhood Development
Company. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota manages the center.
The East Side Center for
Working Families is located at 740 York Avenue, Room 2115, at Johnson
Elementary School in East St. Paul. Hours of service are from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Monday through Friday, and evening hours are available for families
working during the day. For more information, call 651/793-7324.
