The Stratford Public Library has partnered with ABC Life Literacy Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency to offer a series of free, virtual financial-literacy workshops this month.
The Stratford Public Library has partnered with ABC Life Literacy Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency to offer a series of free, virtual financial literacy workshops aimed at teaching adults the skills they need to be confident with their money and overcome any financial challenges they may be facing .
Hosted during Financial Literacy Month in Canada, the Money Matters virtual workshop series is meant to address one of the top concerns for many, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s going to help people build their confidence and reduce their anxiety when managing their money. … We know from research that less than half of Canadians have a budget. Four in ten Canadians tell us that money is a daily concern. A third of low-income Canadians report worrying about money almost constantly. Nearly 60 per cent of Canadian adults don’t know how much money they need to save to retire,” said ABC Life Literacy Canada executive director Alison Howard.
“There are lots of different issues at different point of your life that you might need some help with. Managing your own money is a very personal thing and it’s just one of those topics people assume … you should know how to do. And there’s some stigma in admitting you don’t know all these things.”
To give people a chance to learn about a wide variety of basic financial topics – from creating spending plans to saving money – ABC Life Literacy Canada has developed workbooks for its five different workshops, each printed in English, French, Arabic and simple Chinese. This approach helps participants learn at their own pace with the guidance of local experts. For the Stratford workshops, the non-profit has enlisted volunteers from local TD banks branches to answer questions and offer advice.
In addition to the ABC Life Literacy workshops, the library is also offering three additional virtual workshops created by the Canada Revenue Agency focused on tax benefits and credits for seniors, scam awareness, and benefits and credits for people with mid- to low incomes.
“Back in 2015 when I did a public survey for adult programming, there were three themes that kept coming up and one was people were concerned about … their finances … so hosting these workshops during Financial Literacy Month seemed like a no-brainer. … We did this last year, but we didn’t have a huge response. This year, I think we’ve got around anywhere between 12 and 20 people participating in the program, which is pretty good,” said adult collections and outreach librarian Robyn Godfrey.
As in-person space is currently limited at the library, all workshops will be held via Zoom. For more information and to register, visit splibrary.ca/events/mind-over-money, email [email protected] or call 519-271-0220 ext. 132 during regular business hours. Those who register will either be sent a link to download the workbooks associated with each selected workshop or the library can print hard-copy versions free of charge.
As part of this workshop series, the library will also host a giveaway at the end of the month. One name will be drawn from those who registered for a workshop and that person will win a mystery prize.
All Money Matters workbooks, including versions published for Indigenous peoples and people with diverse abilities, as well as additional financial literacy resources, are available at abcmoneymatters.ca/resources.