Anidia and José Guerrero came to Lacasa and took the Money4Life classes. They were asked afterward if they would have achieved their goal without working with Lacasa. Answering honestly, Anidia said, “Yes, we would have; but it would have taken us much longer. The program kept us motivated and guided us all through the process.”
She continued, “Money4Life taught us a lot about how to manage our expenses better. We really learned how to save our money. The debit card sleeve with the words “Needs or Wants?” made us think twice every time we pulled it out to buy something. “ (“Needs or Wants” is a core concept of the Money4Life classes, reminding students to think about whether their next purchase is something they really must have, or if it is something that they could get along without)
Just having the right intentions doesn’t mean it will be easy. “We both work, and work hard. Just getting to our appointments and trainings at Lacasa was probably our biggest challenge.” Lacasa offers classes on Saturdays and in the evenings to try to give plenty of options. Classes are offered in Goshen and in Elkhart, and some are offered in Spanish. Even so, it takes dedication to stick with the classes.
Financial Capabilities Counselor Joel Zwier asked, “ Were there any specific parts of Lacasa’s services that were really beneficial?”
Anidia answered, “Lacasa taught us that we can accomplish our dreams, if we apply ourselves.”