Pike County Library District developed multigenerational financial education programs for consumers; partnered with the school system to present programs in elementary and high schools in this rural county; and collaborated with the Pike County Extension Office to offer monthly programs on planning for retirement and other financial topics.
Key Activities:
- Conducted five “health & wealth fairs” at library branches throughout the county, introducing library patrons to the personal finance resources available through the library district and the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension-Pike County Office. The fairs included representatives from the local Social Security Office, consumer credit counseling service, area colleges, and the health department.
- Conducted 53 financial literacy sessions at county schools, library branches, and community centers.
- Partnered with Pike County Extension Office to offer the six-week “Small Steps to Health and Wealth” series for adult learners to motivate them to implement behavior change strategies that improve their personal finances.
- Designed and delivered a 10-part speaker series in direct response to community requests for additional educational opportunities on specific topics. These sessions achieved a 94% approval rating and addressed:
- Avoiding investment fraud for seniors
- Loan fraud
- Postal fraud
- Creating a better spending plan and building wealth
- Everything you need to know about reverse mortgages
- How to survive a layoff
- Credit reports and holiday spending
- 10 tips for better credit
- Protecting investors, including you
- Identity theft
- Conducted outreach visits and presentations to civic organizations (Kiwanis, Rotary Club), the Pike County Board of Education, senior citizen centers, job fairs, and various community events to distribute information on financial issues facing consumers. As a result of this outreach, the library developed a partnership with the local Jobsite organization to help provide financial classes for jobseekers who lost their employment and needed help getting back on their feet financially.
- Developed a mobile training lab to service community events and local businesses/organizations with on-site financial literacy programs, with the goal of helping individuals who have been impacted the most by a difficult economic climate.
