Recently, Cities of Service profiled Norfolk volunteer Vonda Johnson. Check out her story!

Vonda, a resident of Norfolk, Virginia, had been struggling with her finances. She participated in Bank On, part of the Cities of Service Resilience AmeriCorps program that strengthens the financial literacy of residents through group classes and personal coaching sessions.

“Once you go through the program and see what it’s all about, you’re able to give back to others who may be struggling and dealing with some of the same situations that you were dealing with,” she says.

She was relieved to learn that her struggles were not unique. The program made a big difference in her life. “I was excited to go each and every time,” she said, “and I was glad that I learned some things that were not taught to me as child or as a teen or even as an adult.” With money she was able to save after participating in the program, Vonda visited her mother, who she hadn’t seen in ten years because she couldn’t afford the train ticket.

She now volunteers to help others better manage their finances, and shares with them how the program changed her life and how it can change their lives, too. “Come, gather together, learn, listen, share,” she says, “and you’ll see a difference.”

Read more Cities of Service stories at https://citiesofservice.org/stories/unsung-heroes/