Melissa, an LPN, is caring for both her husband and her mother who are disabled, as well as her two young children. After becoming the sole bread winner when her husband could no longer work, Melissa realized she needed to do more to provide for her family.
Melissa enrolled in an Individual Development Account (IDA) program at SELF (Supports to Encourage Low-income Families), the Butler County Community Action Agency. The IDA program allowed Melissa to save money to go back to school and get a four-year degree in nursing, providing a 2-to-1 match to the money she saved. The IDA classes also helped her learn financial skills, such as budgeting, couponing and saving.
Melissa has developed better saving habits, utilized SELF’s matching funds to pay for courses at Sinclair College, and will receive her bachelor’s degree in nursing by the end of the year.
For more information about Community Action programs in your area, visit www.oacaa.org. Note, not all Community Action Agencies offer IDA programs.