Tacoma Goodwill aids thousands with financial fitness
TACOMA, Wash. -- Most people think of Goodwill as the place to find good bargains or where you donate things you no longer need.
But the Goodwill in Tacoma is earning a reputation for free fitness programs. Just don't expect treadmills or dumbbells; this program is all about financial fitness and everyone can afford it, because it's free.
Two hours a week, for eight weeks, students of all ages and backgrounds learn the smart way to control their spending, get out of debt and manage their money through the Keys to Change course.
Program Coordinator Dani Small says for most student, it's their first real exposure to personal money management.
"We cover everything from banking, to account management we get into goal setting. Help people put a spending plan together. We cover predatory lending," Small said.
Tacoma Goodwill started the program years ago to help employees, and quickly saw the need was far greater.
So three years ago, the store most people think of for bargain buys and charity donations expanded the financial literacy classes to the general public for free.
"We've had tons of people really work on improving their credit score and paying off debts and really getting organized," said Small.
Since the classes went public in 2007, nearly 2,000 people in 15 counties - including consumers in Ellensburg, Yakima, Longview and Woodland -have learned to manage their debt instead of letting debt manage them.
Tacoma Goodwill gets help with funding and education support from local banks, businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations and offers translated curriculum into Vietnamese, Russian and Spanish.
The organization says youngest graduate so far is 15 years old, and the oldest is 88.
But the Goodwill in Tacoma is earning a reputation for free fitness programs. Just don't expect treadmills or dumbbells; this program is all about financial fitness and everyone can afford it, because it's free.
Two hours a week, for eight weeks, students of all ages and backgrounds learn the smart way to control their spending, get out of debt and manage their money through the Keys to Change course.
Program Coordinator Dani Small says for most student, it's their first real exposure to personal money management.
"We cover everything from banking, to account management we get into goal setting. Help people put a spending plan together. We cover predatory lending," Small said.
Tacoma Goodwill started the program years ago to help employees, and quickly saw the need was far greater.
So three years ago, the store most people think of for bargain buys and charity donations expanded the financial literacy classes to the general public for free.
"We've had tons of people really work on improving their credit score and paying off debts and really getting organized," said Small.
Since the classes went public in 2007, nearly 2,000 people in 15 counties - including consumers in Ellensburg, Yakima, Longview and Woodland -have learned to manage their debt instead of letting debt manage them.
Tacoma Goodwill gets help with funding and education support from local banks, businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations and offers translated curriculum into Vietnamese, Russian and Spanish.
The organization says youngest graduate so far is 15 years old, and the oldest is 88.