Partner Up For Prosperity

A lot of what I write and speak about can be attributed to the financial common sense I learned from my grandmother, Big Mama.

Often after I speak to a group, I'm greeted by a line of people who want me to personally help them with their finances. As much as I want to help, I can't be a Big Mama to them all.

A few years ago, following another speech and another line of people, I knew I needed to find a way to help those in need of one-on-one financial guidance. So I created a program at my church called Prosperity Partners. The concept is simple. Women who possess the financial common sense my grandmother had (senior partners) help women who are financially challenged (junior partners).

Senior partners aren't professional financial advisers. Instead, they share their own experiences and serve as mentors to help their junior partners find the right resources to improve their finances.

The program has been so successful I would like to encourage other churches or community groups to implement a Prosperity Partners program.

The need is great. So many people are struggling with debt. Others just need someone to motivate them to do better with the money they have.

I know there are a lot of Big Mamas out there. I know there are many women who have a tremendous amount of financial wisdom that they can and should be sharing with others.

Trinita McCall is one of them.

"I didn't think I was financial savvy," said McCall, who has served as a senior partner for two years at my church, First Baptist of Glenarden. "But then I realized I do have something to offer. Sometimes all the senior partner does is plant the seed by providing the information."

McCall has shown her partners how to get out of debt, clear up errors on their credit reports and establish a budget.

One junior partner would even call her from the checkout line.

"She would say, 'I'm in the line, and I need you to help me,' " McCall said. "Then I would ask her to tell me about the things in her cart. I would ask her if she needed what was in there, and we would talk about what she should put back."