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Empowering Financial Stability through Community Services

Discover WoodGreen Community Services' successful approaches in financial empowerment for low-income individuals and families through tax clinics, counseling, and financial literacy programs. Learn about their innovative strategies and challenges to promote positive social interactions and increase financial skills.

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Empowering Financial Stability through Community Services

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  1. WoodGreen Community Services Financial Empowerment- Successful Approaches  Stephen Vanderherberg, Director Strategic Initiatives May 25th, 2018

  2. WoodGreen Community Services Organizational Overview • WoodGreen Community Services (Toronto, ON) • Multi-Service Agency (i.e housing, employment, newcomer, seniors, mental health, etc.) • 75 programs, 700+ staff • Financial Empowerment • Income Tax Clinics (7500 returns in 2017) • Counselling (1000+ clients) • Financial Literacy

  3. WoodGreen Community Services Financial Empowerment Target • Low income individuals & families with barriers • Address financial barriers; Increase financial skills and capacity • Grow to 15,000 clients/yr by 2022 Journey • 33% growth year over year since 2011 • Tax Clinics to Counselling   • Experimentation & Innovation Approach • Co-Design • Partnerships • Client-centric

  4. WoodGreen Community Services Challenges to Financial Security • Complexity of Personal Situations • Documentation, debt, back-taxes, relationship breakdowns • Ease of Access • Navigating systems, appropriate financial products, personal confidence  • Low Financial Literacy   • Low literacy levels, cognitive barriers, negative association  • Need for affirming positive social interactions

  5. WoodGreen Community Services Successful Approach 1: Volunteer Empowerment • 200+ volunteers, Pyramid model • Co-location: Toronto Public Library, Social Housing, etc. • $17 M in Benefits and Returns • Positive Social Interactions

  6. WoodGreen Community Services Successful Approach 2: Tax + Counselling • Triaging complex situations • One-on-One Support – Tax advocacy, debt, documentation, benefits access, budgeting • Social Work Approach, Action-oriented  • Supportive environment to navigate systems 

  7. WoodGreen Community Services WoodGreen Community Services Stephen Vanderherberg, Director, Strategic Initiatives www.woodgreen.org Svanderherberg@woodgreen.org

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