Celebrating 35 Years of Service to Women & Girls in Washington County
Current Projects
Financial Literacy For Women in Recovery from Substance Abuse & Addiction
The Washington County Commission for Women has partnered with Brooke’s House to host financial literacy classes for women in residential recovery from substance abuse and addiction. Brooke's House is a transitional sober living home for adult women in the early stages of substance abuse recovery. Classes will be held in April and September 2022.
The goals of the financial literacy classes are to:
- Empower women in recovery to make healthy financial decisions by increasing knowledge about basic money management;
- Introduce the process of preparing a personal budget and spending plan, credit card health, and setting financial goals; and,
- Conduct resume building and career development training to help women continue financial planning after they graduate from residential recovery.
The course is based on the Building Financial Wellness Curriculum developed by the University of Illinois at Chicago. Participants are encouraged to share their knowledge and experiences with financial management in a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental learning environment. The lead facilitator is Cortnie Beaver, Financial Planner and Owner of Skye Financial Solutions. The secondary facilitator is Barbara Martin, Life Coach and Owner of Women in Transition.
The Commission for Women has partnered with the Washington County Board of County Commissioners, Western Maryland Consortium, and Middletown Valley Bank for funding, services, and resources. Chick-fil-A of Hagerstown and Jersey Mike’s Subs provided food and drinks for each class.
Thank you to guest speaker Councilwoman Tekesha Martinez who attended on the first day of the spring class to present an inspirational speech and recite original poems, and State Delegate Brenda J. Thiam who attended the final day of the spring class to share her experience with overcoming challenges and hand out Certificates of Completion.
Goal Setting: Four-Step Program for Change
The Washington County Commission for Women, in partnership with Brooke's House and Western Maryland Consortium, will host goal setting classes for women in residential recovery from substance abuse and addiction.
The program goals are:
- Self- Awareness - we will evaluate different aspects of their lives
- Action Boards - we will create a visual picture of their goals
- Goal Planning - creating an action plan
- Empowerment - actionable steps to move forward.
The Four-Step Program for Change contains four interactive sessions: self-evaluation, action boards, goal setting and planning. The program will be facilitated by Barbara Martin, life coach and owner of Women in Transition. The program will be hosted in July, August, and September 2022.
