Families and children in the Verde Valley who want to learn how to get control of their finances have a local resource.

Very few people have escaped the effects of the recent economic recession and so there couldn’t be a better time for the financial education training program offered by Catholic Charities in conjunction with Arizona Saves and Arizona Kids Saves.

Those who have emerged relatively unscathed know that money can work for a person or against them and that it’s far better for a person and their money to be working together than at odds.

There are two parts to the program, according to Carol Quasula, site director for Catholic Charities in Cottonwood.

The first is a two-day workshop for adult volunteers interested in teaching kids and other adults how to be in control when it comes to their money.

The next workshop for prospective instructors will be held at the Catholic Charities Yavapai Regional Service Center at 736 N. Main St. in Cottonwood on Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days.

Registration for the free workshop is required by calling Carol Quasula at 634-4254, ext. 54117.

Those who attend this training workshop will learn a teen financial education curriculum, an adult financial education curriculum and crisis budgeting.

Included will be information on building a better budget, banking basics, taking charge of credit and preparing for home ownership.

The second part is teaching classes.

Instructors who complete the workshop will be asked to commit to observing one full series of financial classes before heading up their own class.

A full series of classes typically consists of three or four two-hour evening sessions, one per week for three or four weeks.

Following that, instructors will be asked to teach a minimum of three series per year.

To encourage community participation in the classes, incentives for the younger students include pizza and soda, a financial folder with budgeting and credit tools, and a certificate for attending all classes.

Incentives for the adult sessions include all of the same items plus the chance to win a $50 savings bond.

Angela LeFevre went through the instructors’ training and is now on her second series of workshops.

“The program is well thought out and easy to follow,” LeFevre said. “It covers items like the importance of savings, how to track your money, choices in spending, the good and bad about credit cards, how to put together a budget, and how to budget for the future. There are great activities which require participation and the program really works.”

Quasula and LeFevre emphasized that it’s not necessary for instructors to have a degree in economics.

In most cases, two instructors are present for each class, one leading the class and the other assisting.

The community money management classes are held at the Cottonwood Boys and Girls Club at 817 N. Second St. from 6 to 8 p.m.

Specific dates for the kids’ and adults’ classes have not yet been determined; however, Quasula expects the next series will begin in mid- to late-October.

Although future dates for money management classes have not yet been set, those interested in participating should call Carol Quasula at 634-4254, ext. 54117.

Quasula said she’s also working on a grant to make the same classes available in Sedona.

Susan Johnson can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 129, or e-mail sjohnson@larsonnewspapers.com