Auditor General DeFoor Visits River Crossing YMCA to Promote ‘Be Money $mart’ Initiative; Highlight programs YMCA offers to Students

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor today visited River Crossing YMCA in Allentown to talk to young students about the importance of knowing how to be smart with their money and promote programs the YMCA offers to help students improve their financial literacy.

"Knowing how to be smart with your money is one of the most important lessons a young person can learn to achieve future financial success," DeFoor said. "It is never too early to start thinking about how money works. It's essential that we continue to work with partners like River Crossing YMCA to give Pennsylvanians the tools to help them on their journey to financial independence."

"We appreciate Auditor General DeFoor choosing our Allentown camp to share the Be Money $mart financial literacy initiative with students," said Zane Moore, president/CEO of River Crossing YMCA. "Learning about this important life skill with a fun activity in the park fit in well with what our campers do every day at the Y."

River Crossing YMCA (formerly YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties and Greater Valley YMCA) is a charitable, nonprofit organization committed to strengthening communities through membership and programs that foster youth development, healthy living and social responsibility for all. Annually, the Y serves more than 100,000 members and participants at its 11 member branches, 12 early childhood centers, 20 summer camp locations and 44 school age childcare programs. River Crossing YMCA provides more than $12 million of community impact annually in the form of financial assistance to individuals and families in need and free programming for veterans, cancer survivors, older adults and more.

Auditor General DeFoor's 'Be Money Smart' financial literacy initiative was launched in November 2021 to emphasize the need for financial literacy in Pennsylvania and highlight resources available for all residents across the commonwealth.

Since the launch of Be Money $mart in 2021, DeFoor has:

• Created a Be Money $mart Community Partners page for individuals to directly access resources and information about financial literacy;
• Launched a statewide art contest for students to design the cover of a financial literacy activity book;
• Partnered with Harrisburg University of Science and Technology and Members 1st Federal Credit Union to coordinate a statewide financial literacy competition for high school students;
• Met with teachers and students in high school classrooms across Pennsylvania in recognition of successful financial literacy learning opportunities;
• Visited all state and state related universities in Pennsylvania, as well as community colleges, to talk about job and internship opportunities within the department and the importance of knowing how your money works;
• Moderated financial literacy panels for community organizations, the agriculture industry and local chambers of commerce;
• Partnered with the Pennsylvania Library Association to highlight free financial literacy resources and the PA Forward program;
• Visited YMCAs across the Commonwealth to talk about financial literacy for all ages;
• Worked with Junior Achievement to emphasize financial literacy messages to elementary school students and participated in multiple BizTown simulations; and
• Partnered with CrossState Credit Union Association and other credit unions and financial institutions across the state to promote free financial literacy resources, including hosting 'Money $mart Mondays' with PSECU.

Learn more about the Department of the Auditor General online at https://www.PaAuditor.gov. To learn more about River Crossing YMCA, visit ymcarivercrossing.org.

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Media contact: April Hutcheson, 717-787-1381 or [email protected]