Colleen Gregoire had just this kind of family in mind when she helped create the Let’sCUSave program, which provides financial rewards to low-income people who set up savings plans.

“I met this mom who is working so hard to stabilize her family,” recounts Gregoire, vice president of the United Way of Douglas County and the Self Sufficiency community goal team leader. “She and her new husband have battled homelessness, and are now working very hard to provide a better life for their children. They are both working full time and have found affordable housing for their family, but they are straddled with college loans, credit card debt and the constant expenses that come with raising a family, like making sure their kids have things like school supplies and shoes.”

Thanks to Let’sCUSave, the family is now on its way to meeting some of their ambitious goals, like paying down debt, making some car repairs and, eventually, buying their own home.

The Let’sCUSave program, launched in April, is a new offshoot of the Money Matters class, a financial literacy program created through the collaborative efforts of the United Way and its community partners Housing & Credit Counseling Inc., Lawrence Community Shelter, Ballard Community Services/Penn House and the Salvation Army. The free course is led by Housing & Credit Counseling and covers everything from personal budgeting to renter preparation.

Anju Mishra teaches a Budget and Repayment seminar at the Salvation Army, 946 New Hampshire St., on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015. The course is part of the Money Matters class, a financial literacy program created through the collaborative efforts of the United Way and its community partners.

At the end of the Money Matters course, participants have the know-how they need to take charge of their finances. The United Way and Housing & Credit Counseling also wanted them to have the tools and encouragement they needed to put the theory into practice right away, so they teamed up to create Let’sCUSave.

New Money Matters grads simply present their certificate of completion at Evista Credit Union, Truity Credit Union, MidAmerica Credit Union or Meritrust Credit Union to open a savings account with a minimum deposit of $25. When they deposit $5 or more per month for the first three months, they receive a $25 bonus. If they deposit at least $10 per month for three additional months, they get an additional $25 bonus. The funds for the savings incentives were provided by the four partnering credit unions and the United Way.

“The Let’sCUsave program supports our Self Sufficiency goal of providing breakthrough opportunities for individuals to improve their financial management skills and practices,” Gregoire said. “We are so pleased we can partner with area credit unions to offer this type of rewards program for people who open up new savings accounts.”

Deborah Kurtz, director of market development for Meritrust Credit Union, said the company was on board immediately.

“We think everyone should be given tools to improve their financial status, and we want to give them the tools to do that. Even if people are saving just $5 a month, every little bit adds up,” Kurtz said. “We want to encourage and reward that behavior because that means they are headed in the right direction.”

Gregoire said too many people in our community don’t have a savings account.

“But having money saved means you can be more self-reliant if an emergency comes up; that you have a resource to cover an unexpected cost or realize a dream, like paying down debt or setting aside money to purchase a car or house,” she said.

The family Gregoire met in Money Matters class was among the first to sign up for Let’sCUsave, she said.

“Her short-term goal for this savings account was to pay down some of their $4,000 credit card debt, replace the threadbare tires on their car, then start saving for a down payment on a home of their own.”