Starting Over and Staying Committed

Everyone's financial journey is different.

For some, it's the dream of owning a home. For others, it's improving their credit, paying down debt, building savings, or simply gaining confidence in their ability to manage their money. No matter the goal, the path forward often begins with a single decision: to invest in yourself and your future.

The Financial Literacy And Matched Earnings (FLAME) program was created to help people take that next step. Through 10 months of matched savings and one-on-one financial coaching, participants work toward their goals while building the knowledge, habits, and confidence needed for long-term financial success. Along the way, participants save $60 each month and receive a 3-to-1 match on their savings, earning up to $2,400 to help support their next financial milestone.

But FLAME is about more than dollars and cents. It's about perseverance. It's about overcoming obstacles, celebrating progress, and discovering what's possible when determination is met with support and opportunity.

The story you're about to read is one example of that journey.

Meet Sojourney.

When Sojourney joined the FLAME program, she was in the middle of rebuilding.

After spending time in Arizona searching for better opportunities, she eventually returned to Milwaukee ready to start over. She worked gig jobs, drove for Uber, and later secured a position with a local school bus company while trying to create stability for herself and her 10-year-old daughter.

At the same time, she was managing past-due bills, housing challenges, and transportation setbacks — including a car accident that totaled her vehicle shortly after paying it off.

Even through those challenges, Sojourney stayed committed to the program. “She never stopped trying,” her coach, Terina, shared. “Even when things came up, she stayed focused on moving forward.”

Through budgeting, financial coaching, and determination, Sojourney improved her credit score from 530 to 603, brought several collections current, and began building stronger savings habits.

More importantly, she gained confidence.

Today, she plans to use her FLAME funds toward purchasing another vehicle so she can continue working, rebuilding savings, and creating greater stability for her family.

Her story is a reminder that progress isn’t always perfect — sometimes it’s simply about continuing to move forward.