Heartland Alliance’s Asset Building team is a crew of coaches, social workers, and educators dedicated to providing tools, trainings, and resources necessary for individuals to financially thrive. The team’s state-recognized financial wellness curriculum – created in association with Loyola University Chicago– helps people understand society’s financial systems and create self-sufficiency. To achieve this, the Asset Building team leads seminars on topics ranging from budgeting, banking, and even investing.
Andres Serrano has been a part of the Asset Building team for five years – and it’s his job to help bring this curriculum to the masses. As the program’s Training & Technical Assistance Coordinator, Andres brings crucial knowledge and tools to other social workers, financial coaches, and nonprofits.
According to Andres, there are three pillars to true self sufficiency: access to tools, financial literacy, and one-on-one coaching. Together, those pillars can build financial empowerment, and Andres’s job is to providing those tools to literacy so that coaches can make real impact.
“Finances are a part of everything in our lives – and when you don’t have the tools and knowledge of how to access those tools, well that’s a huge barrier. This is about building self-sufficiency – and ultimately confidence – in people everywhere.”
For years, Andres has provided these trainings in person. Andres is a performer at heart. He loves to connect with the crowd and find what parts of the workshops truly connect with his students. He’s always fed off of the engagement between himself and the audience, making him into the educator he is today.
“When I’m in front of the crowd, it’s about breaking things down into absorbable pieces. That’s all about being relatable, and I feel like my personality really works for this.”
But today, the job has changed. COVID-19 and social distancing has forced much of our educational and case-management work online, turning meetings into tele-conferences and workshops into webinars. Suddenly, Andres’s work had to shift – and Andres himself has had to leave his comfort zone.
At first, Andres found the new reality difficult. Speaking into a camera doesn’t provide the same feedback loop as a crowd, making it difficult for a people-person like Andres to feel natural. He found his performances stiffer than usual and struggled to make his work engaging. As frustrating as the change has been, however, Andres believes that his job is now more important than ever.
“People are receiving COVID-19 checks. People are reforming their finances. We’re at the forefront of making sure people can do that – and there is a lot on the line.”
Andres decided to get back to basics, with a focus on the importance of making the educational components as accessible as possible. He worked with his Asset Building team to break down the curriculum into bite-sized chunks, 30 to 60 second videos discussing various topics. Andres has been purchasing new equipment, figuring out specs on lighting, and developing his on-camera persona.
Most importantly, Andres sees the importance of providing a sense of hopefulness and relevance through these webinars. Andres has always been a firm believer in accessibility of financial tools and the shift to an online curriculum has proven to be a better way to get the word out.
“If we can distribute this information in a way that reduces even more barriers, then we HAVE to do this. Of course, I’ll get used to this.”
That passion for service is exactly what makes the Asset Building team so successful in the first place. Andres knows how vital his trainings are for the financial independence of the people we serve. By providing these trainings online, we can expand our reach and get even closer to our mission of achieving equity and opportunity for ALL people – and Andres is up for the challenge.
“For me, coming from an immigrant family, I understand what it’s like to face barriers to success. I got into social work because I want all folks to succeed, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
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