It was a short week due to the Holiday, but exciting nonetheless. I began calling some of Homeport’s residents to conduct a survey on their current financial state and their experiences with Homeport’s financial advising services. I’ve made a ton of calls this week, but have only received a couple of responses. While I was told to expect this, it still came at a surprise. A lot of numbers I’ve called so far are disconnected, and many don’t have voicemails. This has made collecting data very difficult, and it may take longer to conduct these surveys than I expected. I will also likely have to figure out another way to conduct these surveys, such as online by sending them via email.

Of the residents I have talked to, many seem very satisfied with the services that Homeport offers. Respondents have expressed how glad they are that they attended workshops or counseling because they learned so much. One resident said that attending budget counseling forced him to think about his expenses and led him to create a budget and spending plan to follow. Another resident said that being forced to think about her finances and identifying what was necessary and what wasn’t helped her create a budget and stay on top of her bills. Everyone I’ve spoken to so far has said that they would be very likely to recommend Homeport’s services to a friend or family member. This experience has shown me how much people value Homeport’s assistance and how much it can make an impact.

The unique opportunity to hear from residents first-hand has given me yet another new perspective of the issues that Homeport seeks to address. I’m looking forward to continuing calls next week and hearing more about resident’s experiences with Homeport’s services. This insight will give us valuable information about the effectiveness of financial wellness services for Gifts of Kindness recipients, and I’m excited to see what the data reveals.

Until next week,

Caroline Corona