While temporary fixes have their benefits, United Way Northwest Indiana’s Level Up team is committed to offering solutions for positive, long-lasting change. The Level Up team is able to help clients make sustainable change by offering one-on-one support services with a navigator to listen, learn, and create tailored solutions for each client that lead to financial stability.
“We start them out with the financial wellness portion to set them on that path of making better decisions. We do this because, once they're earning higher wages, we want them to be able to make good decisions for their financial future. We then walk them through finding the best training for their goals and dreams given that increased income. It's a complete program,” said Level Up Assistant Director Courtney Wedryk.
After building that financial knowledge foundation, Level Up navigators work with clients to help them discover the various resources they may need to level up their income. Senior Level Up Navigator Armelda Chambliss revealed that, through one-on-one services, navigators work with clients to find training opportunities, educational programs, childcare, and a host of other support resources. If a client comes in with any resources in mind, such as specific schools they’d like to attend, Level Up navigators work to get them connected to those resources.
“We reach individuals where they are to help them succeed and help them find a program that realizes that success doesn't look the same for everyone,” Chambliss said. “It’s about meeting a person where they are, learning of their goals, and helping them achieve those goals. That's what Level Up does. If I could, I’d shout it from the mountaintop and share it with everyone.”
This customized approach entails seeking not only better-paying jobs but also pursuing dream jobs. While many clients are focused on working toward a paycheck to make ends meet, navigators help clients both provide for their present and aim for a brighter, more enjoyable future.
“Our clients can do these things. They are more than capable of success, but they sometimes lack confidence in themselves. The navigators are able to build up that confidence,” Wedryk said. “When you have someone telling you, ‘You could do this or you could do this,’ the client starts to think, ‘I really could do this.’ Again, our clients are more than capable but sometimes need that extra support, and that's exactly what the navigators provide.”
After receiving this committed support from their navigators, clients are able to graduate from the program and continue to use the tools gained from Level Up to build their futures. Due to clients’ success, they often tell their friends and families about Level Up, giving the program great word-of-mouth representation.
“I’ve been here a little over a year, and I've had several clients graduate,” Chambliss said. “It’s wonderful to see the income increase along with their emotional state due to their successful experience in the program. They are so much more confident than when they started the program.”
For more information about the United Way Northwest Indiana and its Level Up team, visit unitedwaynwi.org.