Brewster Wells Fargo hosts Teach Children to Save Day

BREWSTER – The local branch of Wells Fargo Bank, in conjunction with the American Bankers Association (ABA), and Junior Achievement of Washington (JA), hosted Teach Children to Save Day (TCSD) for second grade students at Brewster Elementary School last Thursday, April 27.
The volunteer program, sponsored by the ABA, was one among more than 200 Wells Fargo branches conducted in 102 classrooms in 20 different Washington schools that day.
Brewster Wells Fargo branch manager, Nestor Lemus and lead teller, Julie Godinez, visited the class of Brewster Elementary second grade teacher, Katie MacLean who was introducing her young students to money management fundamentals.
I piloted a program called Money Savvy Kids,” said MacLean. “Each student got a piggy bank and learned about saving, spending and donating.”
A part of MacLean’s instruction involved her class visiting a local bank, and that visit was reciprocated when bank volunteers Lemus and Godinez brought Teach Children to Save Day to the second graders.
Between 9:30 a.m. and noon the two Wells Fargo representatives delivered a five-session course with topics ranging from “People in the Community Work Together” to “How Money Moves in the Community” and the “Role of Government and Taxes.”
Lemus, who started his business career at age 16 with a landscaping business in Wenatchee, has been with Wells Fargo since 2008, after a friend who worked for the company introduced him to the business. He worked his way up from teller to his present position as Brewster branch manager.
Godinez started her career with Wells Fargo in 2008 as a teller, moved to customer sales and service rep, personal banker and back to lead teller.
“I want to be a service manager in the future,” Godinez said.
“This is the first time we have visited the Brewster school,” Lemus said, but plans a return visit May 12, when he will deliver a presentation to Brewster High School seniors and juniors on savings, credit management and related topics.
The Council for Economic Education reports that Washington is among 33 states that do not require high school students to take a personal finance course.
“By starting these conversations early, we can get Washington’s kids excited about learning how to save and spend money responsibly so they can make smart, confident financial decisions as adults,” said Patrick Yalung, Wells Fargo Washington region president.