The economic reces-sion is affecting the prosperity of Bay Area residents. Increasing mortgage rates and medical debt contribute to our high cost of liv-ing. Despite these obsta-cles, community mem-bers are planning for the future. Newsweek re-cently published an arti-cle in August stating, “A recession is a great time to think like an entre-preneur.” The news-magazine makes an ex-cellent argument; our environment is challeng-ing us to overcome our hardships. This is an ideal opportunity to in-vest in yourself by build-ing your assets. FDIC, (Federal De-posit Insurance Corpo-ration), financial educa-

tion curriculum simply defines an asset as “something valuable that you own.” There-fore, a car, a home and even an education is considered an asset. These financial tools have monetary value that can ensure your stability and wellbeing. The likelihood of you obtaining these assets are based on your cur-rent situation and ability to follow a strategy. Life situations vary, but if you can identify how to achieve your goals real-istically, you are well on your way to a more comfortable life. Your challenge is to develop a plan that involves sacrifice and self accountability. We are not all financially

savvy but are always given the chance to practice budgeting and saving. If you feel it nec-essary to seek the exper-tise of a financial coun-selor, their guidance can help you address your concerns. Browse through community di-rectories, like dialing 211, to see what your local neighborhood can do for you. The process of managing your assets is a lifelong investment that truly pays off.

Volume 1, Issue 2

PLANNING TO BUILD YOUR ASSETS

September 2009

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Staff Spotlight 2

CCC Hand 2 Hand 3

Inspirational Quotes 3

Offices and Locations 4

Lao Family Services 4

IDA Program 2

Inside this issue:

As simple as it to want to expand your assets, it is much more complicated to actually do it. Non-profit organizations provide low income individuals/households support to ob-tain assets such as a car, home, business, and post secondary education. The IDA, individual develop-

ment account, program is funded by the US Federal Government and matches savings accounts with a 1 to 1 ratio. This means for every $1 dollar an IDA client saves, they will re-ceive an additional $1. Therefore, if the client saves $2,000 in their sav-ings account, they will have

a total of $4,000 combined. Lao Family Community Development’s Oakland office has two IDA pro-grams, AFI: Assets for In-dependence and ORR: Of-fice of Refugee Resettle-ment. This organization has just opened 20 AFI accounts and is recruiting for ORR in October.

LFCD Employee Spotlight - Su Dung Q: What inspires you to continue your work here?

A: I want to give back to the community because I am dedicated to help peo-ple in need. I am motivated to help individuals to be-come empowered and fi-nancially self sufficient. Q: Can you describe an accomplishment or suc-cess you are proud of?

A: I am blessed to be able to help my clients not only with employment counsel-ing but with other issues. I am happy that I can find a solution for problems that are not job related because I can refer them to others.

Q: How can a client start receiving employment counseling?

A: The client will need to come into our office to sign up for an EASTBAY Works card. Afterwards, they will be able to use our one-stop business center and receive our employ-ment support services. Q: What is the best ad-vice you give to your clients?

A: I encourage them to take vocational training classes such as ESL. To develop their resume and prepare for interview ques-tions. They need to be confident in themselves.

Q: What do you do at Lao Family?

A: I assist individuals with overcoming the barriers of searching for employment. I also help clients with ca-reer counseling, planning, job referrals and place-ment. Q: What challenges do you face with your posi-tion?

A: The economic down-turn and unemployment rate has increased the com-petition for jobs, especially for those who speak lim-ited English. It has also been very challenging for both job seekers and job developers.

A Better Reason to Save

“I want to give back

to the community

because I am

dedicated to help

people in need.”

- Su Dung,

Employment Dept

Page 2 NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE

Working with Families Hand to Hand

The Contra Costa

County Hand 2 Hand

Collaborative

successfully enrolled

20 families into the

program.

Page 3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

LFCD Staff Picks - Inspirational Quotes “It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” - Emiliano Zapata Sean Coffey “I am involved in a free-dom ride protesting the loss of minority rights be-longing to the few remain-ing earthbound stars, all we demand was our right to twinkle.” - Marilyn Monroe Julia Sanchez “To teach is too learn twice.” - Joseph Joubert Carl Vinson

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” - Oscar Wilde

Kentra Fuqua “A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; What else does a man need to be happy?” - Albert Einstein Luis Del Muro “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” - MLK, Jr. Tracy Wilson

“Tell and I will forget, show me and I will re-member, involve me and I will understand.” - Benjamin Franklin

Oleta Cook “The future depends on what we do in the pre-sent.” - Mahatma Ghandhi

Yamuna Poudyal “Most people grow up and go into politics, the Ken-nedy go into politics and then they grow up.” - Ted Kennedy Thao Pham

raise their child in a healthy environment to prepare them for school readiness. Lao Family arranges home visits and referrals to other local organizations for fur-ther supportive services. The San Pablo office has successfully enrolled 20 families and facilitated two series of “Safety First” engagement activi-ties. These cover emer-gency situations such as infant CPR techniques. The staff also have incen-tives for their enrollees, they have recently visited Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and the SF Academy of Science. For info contact Amy Lieu at

Lao Family Community Development understands Contra Costa County Asian and African Ameri-can communities have lim-ited family/infant support resources. The Hand 2 Hand Collaborative consist of 4 different organiza-tions: Bay Area Commu-nity Resources, Aspirant, Neighborhood House of North Richmond and LFCD. H2H works with pregnant females or moth-ers or families with a 4 month old infant or younger. This program serves low income families in area codes 94801, 94804 and 94806. The collabora-tive supports families to

Youth Services

- Youth Employment (ages 19-21) - After School Leadership Development (ages 14-18) Family Support Services

- Contra Costa County Asian Family Outreach - Social Adjustment Services - Citizenship Assistance - Refugee Health Marriage - Elderly Support Services - Asian American Special Crime Victim Assistance - Community Economic Development Office Hours

Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closed for lunch from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Asset Development

Home Ownership Financial Education, Coaching and

Mentorship Refugee/AFI Individual Development

Account (IDA) VITA/EITC Tax Assistance Service

Employment Services

East Bay Works Affiliate One-Stop Career Center

Refugee Employment Services/VESL CalWorks/ Welfare-to-work Employment

Services Languages

Mandarin Cantonese Lao Mien Spanish Burmese Vietnamese Thai Arabic Nepali Hindi Fiji

Lao Family Community Development, Inc.

Main Oakland Office 2325 E 12th Street Oakland, CA 94601 Phone: 510-533-8850 Fax: 510-533-1516 San Pablo Office 1865 Rumrill Blvd Suite B San Pablo, CA 94806 Phone: 510-215-1220 Fax: 510-215-1216 Sacramento Office 6901 Stockton Blvd Suite 340 Sacramento, CA 95828 Phone: 916-393-7501 Fax: 916-393-7574 www.laofamilynet.org

Lao Fami ly Communi ty Development , Inc .

Lao Family Community Development, Inc.’s (LFCD) mission is dedicated to assisting Southeast Asian, refugee, diverse immigrant, limited English, and low-income U.S. born community members to achieve long-term financial and social self-sufficiency. We encourage our community members to establish goals, believe in themselves, and become active, contributing members of society.

Mailing Address Line 1 Mailing Address Line 2 Mailing Address Line 3 Mailing Address Line 4 Mailing Address Line 5

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