It has been six full months since Good Neighbors started a partnership with the East Tennessee Collaborative (ETC) to start our Mentoring Program. Over 20 families have enrolled and been excelling in the program by setting goal and crushing them! This is the story of Megan, a young single mom of two boys. When Megan heard about the program through the Family Resource Center in the boy’s school, she decided to call our Mobility Mentor, Lesley McGinley, to learn more. 

Lesley invited Megan to meet her at the Good Neighbors office so she could explain what this program could mean for her and asked Megan to dream a little bit about what economic independence would look like. The more they talked the more excited Megan became and enrolled that same afternoon. One of the first steps in the Mentorship Program is a self-assessment that each neighbor completes called the Bridge to Self-Sufficiency. The assessment has 5 main pillars of: Family Stability, Well Being, Financial Management, Education & Training, and Employment & Career Management. Its purpose is to identify areas where the Neighbor with the help of their Mentor can start in their goal setting.

Megan’s first goal was one of savings. She told her mentor that she wanted to start with something small and save $25.00 a month. Her first step to accomplish this goal was to open her first ever savings account. In the following months Megan gained confidence in herself setting goals, putting her plans into action, and successfully completing them at every turn. Some of her accomplishments include: having now close to half a month’s rent in savings with plans to continue building a financial safety net, she has joined the GNBC Budget Course, and is now looking into going back to school. Megan has been making tremendous strides in this program in order to gain stability. The future is bright for this young family!