Financial Literacy Classes
Our classes cover a variety of topics such as budgeting, goals, values, debt, credit, insurance, ID theft, consumerism, home ownership, transportation, and investing.
Private Financial Coaching
Whether you have a particular issue to discuss, or if you would prefer to meet privately, the Whatcom Dream offers private financial coaching sessions to help you achieve your goals.
Poverty Simulation Events
Our poverty simulation events are designed to raise community awareness of the the realities of living on a very low-income budget while trying to meet basic needs for your family.
Understanding Poverty Workshops
Our Understanding Poverty Workshops provide researched based information on the realities of living in poverty in North America. To truly help someone who is experiencing poverty, we must understand the socio-economic context in which they live.
GOTCHA COVERED CLOTHING STORE &
THE CHRISTMAS SHOPPE
These two programs are examples of our "hand up" helping philosophy. Our goal is to come along side of families as they gain skills to make a better future for themselves.
Financial Literacy is one of the most important life skills one can attain. We not only help people learn these skills, we have programs that give them a "hand up" along the way. Another part of our work is to educate the community at large about poverty related issues and help them understand strategies that will truly help someone struggling with financial distress.
Private Financial Coaching
Is there a specific financial literacy topic you want to discuss? Would you prefer to meet privately with someone? Our individual private financial coaching sessions provide valuable information tailored specifically towards what you want to learn. No matter where you are on your path to becoming financially literate, we can offer you sound guidance to help you reach your goals.
Currently we can meet online (Zoom), or via phone. Generally, our fees for financial coaching sessions are $25 per hour, however, we have temporarily waived our fees for this service with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please call us at 360-319-3759 if you are interested in meeting one-on-one with one of our financial coaches.
Poverty Simulation Events
Our Poverty Simulation Events allow participants to walk directly into the "lives" (as much as possible) of fictional low-income families. Face the challenge of meeting your basic needs in the fictional town of Realville.
Every 15 minutes resembles one week in the simulation. For one "month" participants get to see poverty from a dramatically different experiential perspective. The day-to-day realities of too little money and too much stress become personal - and transformational.
Unfortunately, poverty is far from fictional. That's why the goal of the Poverty Simulation Event is to raise community awareness about the difficult realities of trying to meet your basic needs while on a very low-income.
If you are interested in hosting a Poverty Simulation Event at your school, church, agency or business please give us a call and we can fill you in on the details! 360-319-3759
Understanding Poverty Workshop
Do you ever wonder why poverty persists? Poverty is a vast, complex, multifaceted topic. There are many ideas about the subject- as well as opinions. Our Understanding Poverty Workshop is based on Dr. Ruby Payne's "Framework for Understanding Poverty" research. We are certified presenters of her program that can bring light to some of the questions that people in agencies, schools, businesses and churches may have about those they work with.
To truly help someone, we must understand the socio-economic context in which they live. This workshop uses Payne's quantitative and qualitative research, real life examples and even a sprinkle of humor in gathering a new perspective on those experiencing poverty.
Please give us a call to discuss scheduling a workshop for a group. 360-319-3759
GOTCHA COVERED CLOTHING STORE & THE CHRISTMAS SHOPPE
Our Gotcha Covered back-to-school event is centered around helping families get the necessary supplies for their children for the school year. We fill a backpack with school supplies for qualifying children as well as give them a $50 gift card to Fred Meyer that can cover the cost of clothes or whatever other supplies they may need for their school year. The cost to the family is $20 which then goes into our financial literacy scholarship fund and allows another family to go through a financial literacy class. The event follows our "hand-up" model which empowers our clients, giving them the opportunity to pay-it-forward to someone else at the same time. If you are interested in donating or participating in this event, please email us at: info@whatcomdream.org.
The Christmas Shoppe program works similarly. Each year low-income families come shop for quality, new toys for their children at prices they can afford (75%-90% off retail). Proceeds from The Christmas Shoppe funnel into our financial literacy scholarship fund as well.
These two programs are examples of our "hand up" helping philosophy. Our goal is to come along side of families as they gain skills to make a better future for themselves.
FUNDING AND SUPPORT
As a non-profit, our work would not be possible without the generous support of various local businesses, churches, institutions, donations, and grants. We would like to extend a very warm thank you to everyone who has made our work in the community possible.
Grants
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union
Bellingham Bay Rotary Club
Bellingham Food Coop SEED Program
Jansen Foundation
Lucky Seven Foundation
McEachern Charitable Trust
Norcliffe Foundation
Union Bank Foundation
Washington Federal Foundation
WECU Education First Project
Whatcom Community Foundation
Windermere Foundation
Local Businesses & Churches
Ahn Tax & Business Advisors
Assemblies of God Foundation
Bay City Supply
Barnett Enterprises, Inc.
Bellingham Harborview Lions Club
Best Recycling
Birch Equipment
Bornstein Seafoods
Business Pulse Magazine
Christ The King Community Church
Cornwall Church
Dairy Distribution, Inc.
Dewey Griffin Subaru
Ecotech Energy Systems, Inc.
First Presbytarian Church
Hardware Sales
HUB International
J.G. Hansen, Inc.
Kids World, Inc.
Larson Gross, PLLC
Ludeman Capital Management
Lyndale Glass
Lynne Nelson Counseling
Metrie, Inc.
Nick Berard Real Estate Group, Inc.
Northlake Community Church
Rice Insurance
Roosevelt Community Church
SaviBank
Smith Gardens, Inc.
Special T Striping & Design
Squalicum Builders
Sonlight Christian Community Reformed Church
The Muljat Group, Inc.
TLM Bellingham, LLC
Turner Services, Inc.
West Edge Credit Union
Westlyn Feed
Whatcom Home Repair
Windermere Real Estate Whatcom, Inc.
Windermere Rental Management
Partner Agencies & Institutions
Lighthouse Mission Ministries, Bellingham
Engedi Refuge, Lynden
Opportunity Council, Bellingham
Head Start, Whatcom County
Family Promise of Whatcom County
Goodwill Industries of Bellingham
New Way Ministries, Lynden
Bellingham Technical College, Bellingham
Whatcom Community College, Bellingham
Worksource, Bellingham
Sonlight CRC Church, Lynden
Community Assistance Program, Blaine
Mercy Services, Bellingham & Ferndale
Department of Social and Health Services, Bellingham
Contact Us!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE WHATCOM DREAM
“I would like to thank those who fund this life changing opportunity - I improved my money management skills, but The Whatcom Dream helped me set tangible goals that will help me get ahead in life and build a better future for myself and my family.”
— Rich, single father of two & Graduate of Financial Literacy Program