INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE APPLICANT

The applicant's activities are focused upon teaching life skills and financial management to impoverished and marginally employed individuals, particularly single parents and disabled persons.

The applicant intends to offer workshops, initially on a quarterly basis, anticipating that the workshops will be offered on a more frequent basis as the programme becomes better known and relationships are developed with referral agencies.

The applicant intends to cultivate relationships with social service agencies, community service offices and other like entities, all of which will be qualified donees, to seek referrals of appropriate individuals to its workshops. The applicant will develop a screening methodology in conjunction with the agencies from whom it seeks referrals.

Each workshop will be conducted over 4 separate sessions. A detailed course outline will be developed and will include the following the topics:

(a) assessment of each individual's social, employment and financial situation;
(b) identification of each individual's needs and assessment of current life skills;
(c) based upon the assessments and identification outlined in (a) and (b), each individual will work through a set of learning modules tailored to their specific needs and skills. Each module will focus upon a specific life skill, such as meal planning, or an identified need, such as job interview presentation skills;
(d) basic financial planning techniques will be presented with learning modules covering different aspects such as basic banking skills, savings accounts, obtaining credit, government assistance programs, tenancy agreements, home ownership, home and life insurance, and RRSPs; and
(e) self esteem and personal responsibility issues will be presented with learning modules covering behaviours which stabilize work and home environments, such as choice and location of shelter and its proximity to work and amenities, as well as modules aimed at developing an understanding of the responsibility owed to one's family members, employers, neighbours, and community, and personal pride in one's personal and financial accomplishments.

In addition to the course outline, the applicant will provide booklets, hand-outs, worksheets, self-assessment tools and other materials to participants. The applicant will produce this material itself and plans to make the materials available in a number of languages and in non-print formats for persons unable to read conventional print. As the initiation of this program depends upon the granting of charitable registration, the applicant has not as yet undertaken the production of any such materials.

The applicant will retain the services of a qualified individual to coordinate and initiate the development of the curriculum and the preparation of materials. It is anticipated that such materials will be reviewed by professionals who are experts in the various topics to be covered, such as bankers, financial planners, realtors/rental agents, accountants, lawyers and the like, prior to their publication.

Once the curriculum is finalized, the applicant will contract with individuals with the appropriate skills to act as faculty. It is anticipated that in the majority of cases, the faculty will serve on a volunteer basis.

Once the workshop is completed, and subject to relevant privacy legislation, the applicant will periodically follow up with participants to monitor their personal and financial stability. The purpose for this is two-fold: firstly, to provide additional assistance to those who continue to struggle; and secondly, to obtain practical feedback by which to improve the workshop and related materials.