Kimberly Lowe has participated in two UAC programs that she says have made a difference in her life: the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and Financial Advancement Network (FAN) Club. Here is Kimberly's story, in her own words.

My name is Kimberly Lowe. I am 39 years old and have a 7-year-old daughter named Kyla. We currently live in North Philadelphia. My daughter attends Rosemont School of the Holy Child in Lower Merion Township. I participate at her school once a week as a library volunteer.

In addition, I am a full-time student at Chestnut Hill College. I returned to school after 20 years through a program called Graduate! Philadelphia. So far, I have earned a place on the Dean’s list with the anticipation of completing my undergraduate course in December. I major in Human Services, with a minor in Psychology. I am in the process of applying for graduate school as well. My career goal is to be a Visionary Life Coach.

I will be the first member of my family to graduate from college.

I have taken advantage of two programs through the Urban Affairs Coalition. The first one is the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO). I found out about BAEO when I was looking for a school to enroll my daughter in for kindergarten. While attending the monthly "Parents with Power" sessions, I learned how to advocate for quality education for my child. My family has been awarded BAEO scholarships to help with tuition costs.

The second program is a Financial Advancement Network (FAN) Club. A FAN Club is a group of individuals, who commit to meeting together on a regular basis to improve their money management habits, get their financial situations under control, and pursue their financial goals. Each FAN Club consists of 6 meetings of financial trainings.

I want to share with you what I did before the FAN Club, in regards to how I spent money.

I struggled with savings, did impulse spending, and stock-piled things (for example, toiletries; I had countless bars of soap). There were clothes in my closet with tags on them and expired canned goods. I went to BJ’s and bought in bulk, ate out frequently, and bought books for my daughter.

When I started the FAN Club, my goal was to save $50 by the FAN club graduation. I surpassed my goal. Now, my goal is to save $600 by the end of the year.

Here is how I plan to reach my goal:

• I pay myself first.
• I bring a shopping list to the store and stick with it.
• I maintain a spending limit.
• I shop for what I need, rather than impulsive shopping.
• I no longer stockpile my house.
• We borrow books from the library, instead of buying books.

But I do treat myself. Every 8 weeks, I go out for dinner because I love seafood. I have also taught my daughter how to save. She has a piggy bank and loves to put money in it. Like me, she gets to reward herself. If she receives one dollar, she uses fifty cents to buy something and saves the other fifty cents in her piggy bank.

I believe that being a mom is a motivating tool.

This is only the beginning of better things to come!