GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Finding your identity and financial stability. There's a group in Grand Rapids that says one can lead to the other.
A combination of area nonprofits, including Young Money Finances and Better Wiser Stronger, We Matter Now serves boys and young men of color, teaching them financial literacy and and supplying them with the right relationships to help them succeed.
"We live in abundance, not scarcity," said Dondreá Brown, speaking from his childhood experience in the foster care system.
The CEO and founder of Young Money Finances, Brown said his foster dad taught him that "we are not just surrounded by opportunities to grow our money, but by the resources of people."
On April 20 at Calvin University, We Matter Now will hold a conference for boys grade eight through eleven, focusing on financial literacy, etiquette, and personal brand development through this year's theme: Welcome to the Table.
"If you're an impulsive person, you're typically impulsive with your money," said Brown, describing how one's sense of self can affect their finances. "We don't say that's good or bad, we just want you to become more aware."
The young men who may attend the conference, Brown calls "at-potential" rather than at-risk.
"If they're labeled as at-risk, they already feel like they're trouble," said Brown, wanting to shift the narrative. "They already feel like it's over."
Through teaching boys to set financial goals— saving up money to put a down payment on a car, for example— Brown says he's seen success.
"Honestly, it's beyond rewarding," Brown said. "Seeing our youth accomplish these things at a young age is the seed that needs to be planted."
To register for the We Matter Now Conference, click here.
Here's a list of community resources in West Michigan.