Mr. Perez,
The Dawson Area Development Center hosted a “Bridge the Gap” celebration on January 20 in an effort to promote financial literacy in the neighborhood.
The celebration, which was put on by El Camino Pathway to Develop Leadership, had more than 20 attendees.
Members of the Lexington community were given a fluent presentation at the event that covered important topics like health coverage, estate planning, home health insurance, and ways to reduce financial burdens.
According to Rocio Casanova, president and founder of El Camino PDL, “We wanted people to be more involved in the community and to have economic knowledge of things in their life now and in coming.”
Casanova emphasized the importance of community involvement in upcoming financial events.
“We all work and earn money to become financially secure,” Casanova said. “But, not everyone is exactly sure how they should keep and spend the money they earn.”
Attendees received documents during the two-hour event that they can use to broaden their understanding before any financial planning they intend to do in the future.
Before guests left, El Camino offered coffee and donuts along with a free meal.
A financial presentation was given in English by Yoko Lawing, a financial advisor based in North Platte and the founder of Zen Wealth Strategies.
Lawing began her training in her native Japan, where she completed high school and later earned a Bachelor of Arts from Kobe Kaiser Women’s College. Lawing made the decision to change her career path and concentrate her interest in the financial industry after earning a master’s degree in ethnography from Colorado State University.
Lawing, who had recently held a position at Edward Jones and founded North Platte CONNECT in 2017, gave an account of how she came to work with El Camino.
Some El Camino members traveled to North Platte in August 2023 for social events, according to Lawing. “I offered my services to speak to Lexington community members in the future because I was moved by the impact El Camino was having on their community.”
Regarding the partnership, Lawing acknowledged the difficulties with the timing but emphasized El Camino’s importance. She claimed that El Camino holds a significant key to the community. “They do an excellent job of planning events for locals who primarily speak Spanish.”
Lawing advised people to handle their wealth now rather than delaying it.
“Knowledge is power, and it’s crucial for those with a limited Spanish-speaking context to understand how to manage their finances over the long term,” according to Lawing.
Elsa Gomez, a legal secretary at Gregory J. Beal & Associates in Ogallala who is originally from Mexico City, translated Lawing’s presentation into Spanish in real-time. Gomez graduated from the Autonomous University of Baja California in Tijuana with a law degree. Gomez even worked in prosecution and customs while she was in Mexico.
Gomez explained that her motivation comes from the interest of helping those in need when she was also working in Mexico, even as she shared her desire to assist with the El Camino function.
Gomez remarked, “It’s something that has always been very dear to my heart. People may own voices, particularly those who only speak Spanish, in my opinion. If they don’t speak English, it’s important for me to give them a voice.”
Gomez responded, “I believe it’s really important for Spanish-speaking people to become educated in the financial discipline,” when questioned about the importance of upcoming financial events. “Helping these communities benefits the neighborhood and contributes to the development of a better world.”
Lawing and El Camino PDL were thanked by Gomez for inviting her with open arms and giving her the chance to speak with the Lexington community members who only spoke Spanish. Gomez also expressed gratitude to Gregory J. Beal, her employer, for serving as a wonderful mentor.
Gomez and Lawing encouraged visitors to ask any financial questions they might have about the presentation throughout the event, and they showed no reluctance.
Casanova, Lawing, and Gomez all agreed that the event was a success as it came to an end. At the conclusion of the lecture, they were all pleased to hear the enthusiastic comments from the locals.
Some attendees of the occasion expressed optimism for upcoming financial events in Lexington. Casanova, Lawing, and Gomez said they look forward to giving another financial presentation covering significant topics in people’s lives, though no official date has been set still.