AFS is proud to call Washington home. A state that runs the gamut of natural attractions with amber waves of grain, icy and verdant mountains, deep blue seas, rich rivers and lakes, and wild forests. It is also home to 29 Native American Tribes. Those tribes are as diverse as the landscape. However, the economic pressures each of the tribes’ face are not unique. Native American communities face financial challenges that are exceptional. Communities often have low financial literacy rates and high poverty rates. Many of these challenges are a result of inequalities and injustices created over 100 years ago. And they are exacerbated by continued lack of access to economic development opportunities, financial services, and education. For one Washington tribe this means having to drive nearly two hours to access a bank. The geography also makes it difficult for tribal members to engage in steady employment or attend post-secondary education or training. These barriers and hardships have led to intergenerational poverty.
For AFS, one of the factors that drove us to commit to being a resource to local tribes was history. One of our staff members grew up within the boundaries of a local reservation and, in turn, raised her children there. However, even that was not enough for us to believe we knew enough to offer culturally appropriate services to Washington tribes. We began this endeavor by reaching out to the people we knew in the community. The goal was to develop relationships, which we did, with tribes across the State. At the same time, our staff enrolled in the NeighborWorks course Developing Successful Partnerships with Native Organizations and the FDIC course, Meeting the Financial Services Needs of Native Americans.
Through our trainings and meetings with tribes, we came to understand that we also needed a more centered curriculum from which to teach. We implemented components of the Building Better Native Communities (owned by First Nations Development Institute and Oweesta Corporation) to better address the intrinsic needs of the people in these tribes. The incredible part is that these changes have benefited everyone with whom we work.
This outreach and program are still very new to AFS. We began developing this program in January of 2021. In that time, we have developed relationships and courses with seven tribes as well as the South Puget Inter Tribal Planning Agency, a consortium of Puget Sound area tribes.
Through these relationships, we have provided financial counseling and education to 65 people half of whom are case managers serving tribal members. This is critical as case managers often work with program participants on financial matters. In response to this, we also developed training around financial coaching techniques. Our purpose is to provide case managers all the tools they need to support program participants.
Outcomes are still being determined and are ongoing, but we do know that 100% of participants strongly agree that the information and skills provided in counseling and classes are useful to them and their financial situation. Additionally, 100% of participants feel confident that they can use the information and skills to improve their financial situation. As this program continues and evolves, so do our outcomes and success stories. By June 2022, we will serve 300 people through this work. We will report outcomes on improvements in credit, debt reduction and, most excitedly, home ownership and asset development. By complimenting the services already provided by the tribe, we become a source of support for the individual as well as the case managers who engage with community members.
28 сен 2024
