The Village Program increases the financial literacy of 10 Black and Brown families in Mercer County

The African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ), in partnership with Fedcap, Inc.; Junior Achievement
of New Jersey; and the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, developed the Village Program to help address the financial disparities that face Black and Brown families in Mercer County, New Jersey. The pilot program was designed to increase financial literacy, and ultimately household incomes, of families through career counseling, personal and professional development, and continued education.

The eight-week program, which engaged the entire family unit of 10 Mercer County households, launched on May 24, 2021, and ended July 26, 2021. The program included children aged 3-4, 5-11, 12-18 and adult sessions. Curriculum included Banking, Budgets, Taxes, Wages, Savings Accounts, Checking Accounts, Responsible Credit Card Usage and the basics of Money Management. The facilitators kept the children especially engaged in learning with the Kahoot! platform where prizes were awarded for comprehension.

“As we rebuild the state’s economy following the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we must ensure that the recovery is inclusive of Black and Brown families. These groups have largely been ignored, left behind, or left out of economic prosperity in the past, which is why we need to put programs like the Village Program in place for the families to compete and thrive,” said John E. Harmon, Sr., Founder, President and CEO of AACCNJ.

A generous financial sponsorship from KearnyBank Foundation enabled AACCNJ to leverage its resources to strengthen its mission, partnerships, and commitment to the community. “The Village Program could not have existed without Kearny Bank Foundation’s support,” Harmon added.

“KearnyBank Foundation is deeply committed to contributing to New Jersey’s communities, which quite naturally led to our ongoing relationship with Junior Achievement,” explained Kearny Bank’s President and CEO, Craig Montanaro. “By extension, we’re now delighted to have the opportunity to help support the Village Program. I can’t think of a better way to utilize our resources than by helping families who have endured particular hardship because of the pandemic.”

Additionally, the Arman Roy Foundation donated three new Dell laptop computers to the top performing participating families. Two families were ties for best attendance and one family won for most financially improved.

“Inspired by Arman’s love, the mission of the Arman Roy Foundation is to bridge the digital divide, so all youth have the promise of a positive and hopeful future. We are honored to support the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey in creating equity and opportunity by providing laptops to Trenton families participating in the financial literacy program,” said Manisha Roy, Founder and Chair of the Arman Roy Foundation.

As a result of the success of the pilot program, the AACCNJ is planning a second cohort of families to participate in the Village Program in spring 2022.