July 8 – the second Sunday of the Month (FCW are flexible with schedules) – NYC FCW Society members gathered at the home of Marjorie Ocho Kouns for their July Monthly Brunch.
Declaring July “Financial Independence Month” fucking cool women shared food, drink, stories and MONEY with one another. I emailed one of my FCMen about the July Brunch Theme and this is his reply: “i love it. no more fear of money. ” Ju$t Another Rich Kid That’s right JARK, NO FEAR HERE!
Money can be a sensitive issue for some women and it’s important to reach out and get over it! So we are … and we are supporting one another. Money is a powerful energy source – it just doesn’t have to be your LIFE SOURCE. As FCW, we are able to distinguish that idea because we talk about money. One of our FCW Society members, Nichelle Stephens is a great resource for us to have in our society … here are a few links she recommends:
Spending Diary: http://spendingdiary.com/
It will display a pie chart of what you spend.
Wesabe: http://wesabe.com
Social Networking meets personal finance. You can upload your banking data, and tag your transactions.
For Small Business:
http://nyc.gov/smallbiz
There’s a Small Business Resource Center downtown where you can take free classes.
Keeping Nickels. My blog has tips and a links to a lot of free resources (I RECOMMEND THIS ONE!)
http://keepingnickels.wordpress. com
In addition to our eating, drinking, talking, – we also raised money and collected household items for our SPECIAL GUESTS – Joy, her daughter Kat & her lovely husband who I was in the back room so I forget his name!! … they are from Hour Children. Hour Children is committed to the loving care of incarcerated mothers, ex-offenders, and their children, providing short- and long-term support services.
Hearing Joy speak of the success stories of women who have come out of the prison system to a home, a job and their children was very heart warming and POWERFUL. Sometimes, our life circumstances allow us to make bad decisions – often decisions based on our FINANCIAL SURVIVAL and sometimes those choices are illegal. It’s very sad & frustrating that we live in a society where we are afraid to ask for help so instead we might do something illegal. So many women incarcerated are in their because they needed money to take care of their children! Whether its prostitution, drugs, theft, or killing their abusive male partners – one of the leading reasons women make bad decisions is to protect their children. AND THEY ARE PUNISHED FOR THIS! MOTHERHOOD needs to be our TOP PRIORITY! The FCW Society recognizes the power and respect of motherhood.
A big THANK YOU & CONGRATULATIONS to the FCW of HOUR CHILDREN for taking steps to being stronger women for themselves, their children and the world.
Next month, the brunch is at my apt in the east village where they all started over 2 years ago. Yesterday’s brunch also reminded me that FCW are ageless – the ages ranged from 21months to 59 years – FCW are a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors and sundresses! FCW Society looked very cute yesterday 
post by Joanne Morton (trickydame!)
