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Background
Read an overview of this initiative
Status of 2008-2009 Program.
See the results of 2007-08 Rural Families Initiative.
See the results of 2005-2006 Rural Families Initiative.
Strengthening Rural Maryland Families
Strengthening the Well Being of Rural Maryland Families is a direct services grants program initiated in 2005-06 by the Rural Maryland Council with $100,000 in grant funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. During 2006-07, six financial literacy programs received grants to help low-income rural families.
- See a List of Grantees
- See a List of Program Highlights
- See a Summary of Accomplishments, by Grantee
Grantees are:
- Lower Shore Child Care Resource Center, Lower Shore CASH Campaign. Grant Amount: $20,000
- Shared Opportunity Services, Inc., Basic Financial Literary for Hispanic Workers. Grant Amount: $20,000
- University of Maryland Cooperative Extension, Parents and Teachers as Wealth Coaches. Grant Amount: $20,000
- Garrett County Community Action Committee, Money Smart Jump Start Program. Grant Amount: $16,000
- Local Management Board of St. Mary’s County, Inc., St. Mary’s Family Independence Project. Grant Amount: $12,000
- Maryland Rural Development Corporation, Head Start on Home Ownership. Grant Amount: $12,000
Highlights of the 2007 program include:
- Tax Preparation and the Earned Income Credit: 144 lower shore residents with family incomes under $38,000 received free tax preparation services and information about the Earned Income Credit. Each of these individuals received 100 percent of their refund without having to pay a tax prep service. The total Earned Income Credit was $87,912 for 68 federal returns (or $1,292 per return). The total state Earned Income Credit was $13,509 for 34 returns (or $397 per return).
- Basic Personal Finance Lessons for Children: 12 school assemblies were delivered to primary grade students in high risk communities which resulted in 900 hours of early childhood education to 136 classrooms for 3,080 students. In addition, 220 educators and 3,000 parents received classroom and take-home materials to help teach personal financial responsibility to youth.
- Family Financial Stability: 15 families learned their credit scores and identified steps to take to repair credit rating; 16 families learned to prepare a household budget; and 13 families opened and deposited money into a savings account
- Home Ownership: 15 hours of home ownership training were provided for five families. Three qualified for mortgages through USDA-Rural Development and two others are mortgage ready.
Summary of Accomplishments, by Grantee
Lower Shore Child Care Resource Center at Salisbury University, Lower
Shore Cash Campaign. Service Area: Lower Eastern Shore.
Website: http://www.lowershoreccrc.org/
The Lower Shore CASH Campaign, which provides Earned Income Credit outreach and free tax preparation services for low-income families, received a $20,000 grant to establish a satellite site in Somerset County where the median family income is $37,643 and where most of these families are eligible for the Earned Income Credit. During the past three years, the campaign has filed tax returns for 1,813 low-income taxpayers helping them claim more than $1.9 million on federal refunds. Although services are offered to residents of all three lower shore counties, the tax preparation site has been located in Salisbury. The campaign provided targeted outreach about the EIC as well as free tax preparation services to assist low-income families in filing an accurate tax return that gives them all the refunds/credits due to them. The program also linked families to financial literacy and asset development programs. Other results:
- 144 residents with family incomes under $38,000 received tax preparation services and were exposed to limited asset development information, such as how to open a checking account to speed up the refund process;
- 100 percent of these clients (i.e., 144 residents) received 100 percent of their refund without having to pay a tax prep service;
- Total Earned Income Credit: $87,912 for 68 returns. ($1,292 per return);
- Total state Earned Income Credit: $13,509 for 34 returns ($397 per return).
Shared Opportunity Services, Inc., Basic Literacy for Hispanic Workers.
Service Area: Kent County
Website: http://www.kentfamilycenter.org/indexSOS.html
The Shared Opportunity Services, working with the Kent Family Center and Maryland Cooperative Extension, received a $20,000 grants for the “Keep More of Your Money” program, which was designed to increase access to basic financial education for Hispanic workers in Kent County. This rapidly growing population is disconnected from mainstream financial institutions and vulnerable to predatory lending. The program’s key areas of emphasis were on basic personal financial literacy, budgeting, and cash flow management, ultimately giving working families the knowledge and tools they need to keep more of their money and increase their financial stability. Other results:
- Seven money managements lessons were delivered to 12 students in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. Two of the participants opened local bank accounts, and all participants obtained shopping cards from local grocery stores which enabled them to receive special store discounts;
- Two train-the-trainer sessions were held for nine individuals;
- Three presentations which used Avoiding the Money Trap were made to 12 community partners, which included local bank representatives, Kent County Public Schools ESOL staff, and non-profit agency staff.
UM Cooperative Extension, Parents and Teachers as Wealth Coaches. Service
Area: Lower Eastern Shore
Website: extension.umd.edu/
Parents and Teachers as Wealth Coaches delivers targeted train-the-trainer programs to parents, primary caregivers and educators of K-12 students that promote integration of basic personal finance lessons into daily encounters with children in classrooms, at home, and in the community. PTWC received a $20,000 grant to expand the reach and increase the depth of its existing programming on the lower Eastern Shore. Specifically, the grant helped purchase materials, produce and air public service announcements, and conduct Sammy the Saver in-school assemblies which are directed at primary grade students in high risk communities (and which includes lesson plans for teachers and parent guides that encourage family communication about finances). Other results:
- Seven Public Service Announcements were produced and, through partnerships with local stations, aired one paid spot 420 times and received complimentary airing more than 500 times with a market value in excess of $60,000 (The paid campaign reached 73.8 percent of households across Delmarva 5.7 times.);
- 12 Sammy the Saver school assemblies were delivered, resulting in 900 hours of early childhood personal education to 136 classrooms with 3,080 students. Material disturbed include 1,200 children’s books, 250 teacher lesson plan guides, 500 educational music CDs, and 1,200 family guides to communicating about money;
- 220 educators and 3,000 parents received classroom and take-home materials to help teach personal financial responsibility to youth;
- Five teachers and three parents were trained to be Wealth Coaches.
Garrett County Community Action Committee, Money Smart Jump Start Program.
Service Area: Garrett County.
Website: http://www.garrettcac.org/
Garrett County Community Action Committee (GCCAC) received a $16,000 grant to initiate the Money Smart Jump Start project which connects low-income families with job training, skill development opportunites and educational classes, thereby increasing their readiness to earn a living wage. The overall goal was to help families establish a systematic savings plan resulting in increased savings for future investment in homes, small businesses, or higher education. Three five-part financial literacy workshops were provided. Families who completed the series earned a $200 bonus to start a savings or Individual Development Account. Families were also linked with the County IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program to ensure participation in the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit programs. Other results:
- Nineteen families participated and three 10-module Money Smart training series were conducted, as planned;
- 15 participants obtained their credit scores and identified steps to repair their credit ratings;
- 16 participants learned how to prepare a household budget;
- 13 participants opened and deposited money into a savings account;
- 15 participants completed five workshops;
- 12 families invested in an Individual Development Account.
Local Management Board of St. Mary's County, Inc., St. Mary's Family Independence Project. Service Area: St. Mary's County.
The St. Mary's Family Independence Project -- a collaborative project of the Local Management Board, Greenwell Foundation, Three Oaks Community Shelter, Housing Authority, and key community organizations and volunteers -– received a $12,000 grant to help eight families living in transitional housing move toward permanent, stable housing and self-sufficiency by increasing their skills and knowledge. Four family weekend retreat seminars were held at Greenwell State Park in Hollywood, Maryland. While there, families were involved in structured educational and recreational activities that helped increase financial literacy and strengthen family bonds. Families were lodged overnight at the park and given time to relax and develop new relationships with families in similar circumstances. In this relaxed setting, community volunteers and staff provided families with financial education, and mentoring to include: "Avoiding the Money Trap" documentary and facilitated discussion, banking procedures, credit repair, smart shopping, budgeting, long and short term goal-setting, saving, financial planning, investing, and developing a financial sustainability plan. Families also received positive parenting classes, nutrition education, health education, free health screenings, and a private consultation with a nurse practioner. Other results:
- Eight families were selected; six attended more than one weekend; and three families graduated;
- Families spent 88 hours at the park (less sleep time) and received 52 total hours of instruction or strucutred activities;
- Each participant spent nine hours with a financial mentor.
Maryland Rural Development Corporation, Head Start on Home Ownership
program. Service Area: Upper and Mid-Shore area.
Website: www.mrdc.net
MRDC Housing Services received a $12,000 grant to provide direct, comprehensive housing counseling and first-time homebuyers assistance to five low-income families. The grant helped the agency recruit income eligible families interested in home ownership, provide training and materials to prepare/repair credit problems, develop achievable home budget plans, and apply/qualify for below market rate mortgage resources leveraged by MRDC for first time homeowners. Unfortunately, the lack of affordable housing in the region continues to be an obstacle for low-income families. Other results:
- Five families received 15 hours of home ownership training. Three qualified for mortgages through USDA-Rural Development and two others are mortgage ready.
- Even though all five families successfully completed the training, none have been able to find suitable affordable housing for purchase. To assist in the development of affordable housing units in the region, MRDC is exploring a partnership with a nonprofit housing developer. This partnership would identify and acquire real property and the develop affordable single family housing units in both planned cluster and scattered sites within the Upper Shore region. That partnership is expected to be realized during 2007.