From the Blog

Cash IRL: Our Workshops on the Tough Stuff

Posted by Amanda Trainor on Aug 6 2024

My name is Amanda Trainor, and I have been the Partnerships Coordinator at Bk Coop since 2022 and a member since 2016. My role includes partnership building and community outreach, and I have also been planning the monthly Cash IRL workshop series that we launched back in May.

We called the workshop series Cash IRL (in real life) because at any given time, any of us can be facing very real life issues like divorce, debt, and death. Many of us who grew up without financial resources often internalize shame and self-blame around money, overlooking the unjust systems designed to exploit and traumatize working-class families.

As a community credit union, we can address this shame head-on and create space for open conversation. We bring in experts we trust to provide safe, welcoming workshops where members can discuss difficult financial topics and share their life experience. Our goal is for community members to gain connections, resources and insights needed to navigate these overwhelming financial issues.

So far, my favorite part of the workshops has been hearing from the experts who have helped us dispel money myths that get spread on social media. I’ve also really enjoyed hearing everyone’s stories and it confirms for me how much knowledge we already have within our community. Our past workshop topics have included Student Loan Debt with EDCAP, Graduates Guide to Investing with Kristen Euretig, founder of Brooklyn Plans, and Overcoming Your Medical Debt with TrustPlus. You can access all the past workshop materials on our website.

We are taking a break in August, so join us for the upcoming Cash IRL: Death & Estate Planning workshop on Thursday 9/26 with our affiliate organization Grow Brooklyn. Refreshments are always served!

Please fill out this survey if you have any workshop topics ideas! We are also always interested in hearing from like-minded organizations for partnership opportunities, so please reach out to amanda@brooklyn.coop to connect.