In case you haven’t, FLA is a unique, innovative program, where we're helping families acquire the skills needed to achieve their family goals. It’s a year-long, innovative program that helps low- and moderate-income families build the skills and access the resources necessary to achieve their goals and reach a greater degree of economic security and mobility. So far, I’ve met families that have set goals such as buying a car, learning to cook/eat healthier, starting a college savings fund for their daughter, and for some families it has been as simple as starting their very first bank account.

I’ve realized how much I take for granted sometimes and how some of these goals are attained more easily for some than others. One thing is for sure though, when a goal is set, it really is up to you to stick with a plan and make it happen. Having a support system in place is crucial to achieve goals. That is also why this program is such a wonderful resource. It walks entire families through the goal setting process as a whole. The children also learn about finances and real world goals they can set and implement.

In a very real way, we think of the mission of the FLA as the revitalization of the Esperanza neighborhood, one household at a time. NBT operates the FLA in partnership with PRAB, which has positioned this program as part of their robust suite of comprehensive services. It is so important for us to note that we do better for others by banding together. Collaboration is what we do best, and we hope to continue laying out the foundation that this community needs in order to help our residents envision a better tomorrow and continue setting goals for themselves.