financial literacy
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Make careful decisions as they redeem their hard–earned tickets in the Treasure Chest (the Sunday Friends on-site store) for merchandise.
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Accumulate their tickets for more costly items, such as bikes or rent.
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Children also play board games that teach financial literacy. Parents and teens attend classes on taxes, budgeting, avoiding debt and scams, financing college and cars, online banking, securing your savings, teaching financial responsibility to your children – and more. We also offer Financial Consultations where parents receive help from financial professionals in improving their credit, managing banking and loans, dealing with collections or identity theft, paying taxes, and clarifying the legalese in confusing letters they receive in the mail.
Self-sufficiency is the goal of every Sunday Friends program. Families learn and develop the skills and attitudes required to break the cycle of poverty. We design our activities to emphasize the value of earning, money management, decision making, delayed gratification and work ethics.
Every child and parent is empowered to:
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Choose from a wide variety of interesting activities where they can earn tickets. Tickets are the internal currency of the Sunday Friends community.
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Save their earned tickets in their individual Sunday Friends Bank account.
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Earn interest on their savings.
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Deposit and withdraw tickets throughout the day.
Families tell us:
"I thank the program for helping children so they can earn their tickets so they can buy their own things. This shows that they are being influenced in a good way therefore opening a bright gateway for their future."
"My children are more responsible, they like to participate in all the activities, they have learned so much in regards to the management of their money. The ticket system in Sunday Friends is a great tool to prepare children for the real world."
"Sunday Friends teaches families to work hard to obtain necessary items, toys, etc., which is just as life is in the real world. The hard work helps children/youths to have a more clear, realistic outlook, and not to expect an easy handout of free stuff."
"My family and I have changed a lot through Sunday Friends. We have learned how to save money and be smart with purchasing items."
Our Program Evaluation demonstrates how successful Sunday Friends is with teaching Financial Literacy.