Empowering Kansans To Achieve
Their Financial Dreams
By Lacy Stauffacher and Alicia Marsh
Financial capability cannot be
guaranteed by education alone.
Long-term, sustainable
financial well-being is a
dynamic and shifting process
that requires a multifaceted
approach. Individuals and
families are driven by
ever-changing life goals and
most significantly by their
financial goals. Homeownership
is one of the most common
financial goals households
strive to achieve with the
highest demand for information
and support. Interfaith Housing
Services, Inc. (IHS) is working
toward meeting these needs
for households in the state
Take Control—Grow Your
of Kansas.
Financial Wellness
The mission of IHS is to
develop, promote, and
implement programs which
assist persons of low to
moderate income to meet their
housing needs. Since 1992,
IHS has helped hundreds of
households across Kansas. IHS
currently offers a diverse set of
services including rental
housing, home repair,
financial education, and
matched-savings programs.
IHS is always looking for new
ways to help people and
has recently expanded its
financial education program
to include financial
capability and first-time
homeownership training.
Take Control is a financial
wellness program designed
for all levels of income to
encompass the highest level of
individual financial security.
Through financial capability
training, individuals gain the
knowledge to possess positive
financial behaviors, manage
their resources, and make
financial decisions. Take
Control addresses the
fundamental components
through financial capability
training, starting with group
education that encompasses
goal-and-action-oriented
practices. These practices
are driven by six behavior
principles: visioning,
maximizing income,
spending, saving, borrowing,
and protecting.
Visioning
Visioning is the process of
setting goals, developing a plan
to achieve them, and putting
the plan in Ѽ