Habitat for Humanity is once again holding in-person financial stewardship classes in Pueblo after the course moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We kind of scaled back during the pandemic,” said Rosella Parra, executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Pueblo. “We used to have online classes. Now, we are back to in-person classes.”
The next class will be held April 23. It is the second of four financial stewardship classes this year.
Financial stewardship classes were first offered in 2019 after Habitat for Humanity saw a great need for such instruction in Pueblo, especially among people looking to buy or rent a home.
“A lot of people, they are priced out of the market,” Parra said. “It has always been a concern … For them to understand the process and position themselves to buy a home, it takes savings, budgeting and so forth. This is our approach to help with that.”
More: No vacancy: Pueblo’s apartment situation is ‘a big problem’
The free, one-day course will cover three components: visioning, intentional living and credit.
In the visioning portion of the class, attendees will create poster board collages with photos cut from magazines to represent personal and financial goals.
“Say you want to go on vacation … What is going to motivate you to save the money that you need?” said Pearl Atencio, Habitat for Humanity of Pueblo’s family services and volunteer coordinator.
“It goes along with budgeting, it goes along with credit or if your vision is to have a home. It all ties in together.”
Creating a budget and saving money will be covered in the intentional living portion, while the final component of the course will discuss the basics of credit, including credit scores and FICO scores.
More: ‘Setting them up for success’: Pueblo 5th graders get financial literacy lessons
The April 23 class, as well as the summer class on Aug. 20, and a fall session set for Nov. 5, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 2313 S. Prairie Ave.
Community members may register for a class by calling Habitat for Humanity at 719-565-0745 or by emailing Atencio at [email protected].
Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached by email at [email protected]
