Volunteer
We are always looking for volunteers who are interested in teaching a workshop, coaching our participants on how to start a business, or joining our growing team of advisers. Several volunteer opportunities are described below.
- Teach basic financial education classes or specialized workshops related to taxes, investments, or financial planning.
- Provide housing-search assistance for low-income families who are in the process of a first-time home purchase.
- Coach participants who are pursuing post-secondary education or small business development.
- Review business plans for participants who are starting their own businesses.
- Volunteer for one-day projects to help low-income families prepare to move into their first home (i.e. painting, cleaning, minor construction).
- Provide financial planning assistance for Compass alumni.
- Provide Compass with marketing assistance to expand outreach to low-income families.
Volunteer Spotlight
Gonzalo Puigbo is a Vice President in the Mortgage Department at
Eastern Bank. For the past two years, Gonzalo has taught Money Smart to
Compass IDA participants in Lynn in our five-week, ten-hour workshop
series. Money Smart, a nationally recognized training program created
by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), helps adults
outside the financial mainstream enhance their money skills and create
positive banking relationships. The Money Smart curriculum enables
individuals to build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence,
and use banking services effectively.
A native of Venezuela, Gonzalo has been an enormous asset to our program. In addition to his professional expertise in banking and financial services, Gonzalo brings a deep personal commitment to his work on behalf of low-income families, especially in Latino communities. In addition, working with Gonzalo has solidified our belief in the importance of recruiting financial services professionals as lead instructors in our programs. With his warmth and his energy, Gonzalo helped demystify the banking world. He also encouraged parents to set – and stick to – realistic budgets, savings goals, and credit repair strategies. Above all, Gonzalo reminded parents to pay their bills on time!