Participant Families
BCS is a place of empowerment, achievement, purpose, and hard work. Birch helps families find their success through serving alongside each other, attending financial classes, and sitting down for regular one-on-one meetings with a Financial Literacy Counselor.
“We appreciate the focus on family values and goals, then fitting our finances to support that vision.” — BCS Participant
Participant Requirements
All BCS Participants Must
- Have at least one family member working or actively looking for work
- Pay $80 each month
- Volunteer each month
- Meet with a Financial Literacy Counselor at least twice a year
(you may schedule more meetings) - Attend our 4-session re$tart financial course
- Demonstrate and exhibit BCS Cultural Values and Principles
Current Families
Please visit the Birch Community Services Participant Portal. The link is provided to you through the weekly email. Contact bcs@bcsi.org for more information.
On the Participant Portal, Families Can:
- Schedule a shopping time
- Schedule a volunteer shift
- Schedule a financial meeting
- Sign up for classes
- Pay monthly program dues
- Refer friends to BCS
- and much more!
Financial Literacy at BCS
We guarantee to create margin in your budget by providing you weekly groceries, and meet with you regularly to provide the tools you need to create a Family Vision to achieve your debt and savings goals.
One-on-One Meetings
Every family is required to meet with a financial counselor twice annually. Their goal is to:
- Give guidance on how to best navigate your family’s season of life
- Help think through financial decisions
- Advise on how to best use the BCS program
- Be a resource
If you are a two-partner household, it is recommended that both partners meet with a financial counselor together.
Re$tart
“I originally did not want to take [Re$tart] because I thought it was pointless for us. I thought we were going to be broke forever and there was no hope of financial freedom. After this class, I feel so encouraged and knowledgeable. Now we can start controlling our money and actually make headway for our dreams.”
Classes at Birch
Every family has access to financial classes throughout the year. Upcoming classes are shown on the right. Please sign up today to reserve a spot. All courses will be on Zoom until further notice.
Birch Course Offerings:
- 4-Session re$tart Course (required)
- Paying for College Without Debt
- Estate Planning and Wills
- Social Security, Disability, and Medicare
- Teaching Kids About Money
- Gardening Courses
4-Session re$tart Course
All BCS participants are required to complete the re$tart course in the first year of participation. Whether you’re single, married, divorced, or widowed, there should be applicable advice and information for all seasons of life.
Topics Include:
- Family Vision and Goals
- Financial Institutions and Credit
- Insurance
- Debt Reduction
- Savings
- Family Meetings
- Record Keeping and Budgeting
- Communication
- Financial Freedom
Couples are encouraged to come together and approach this as a team. Teenagers and other household members may also attend.
Program Overview
If you have questions, about the program, this is a great place to start.