Living in the Twin Cities can sometimes wreak havoc on your budget. With the high cost of living, those daily expenses can add up faster than expected. But should you have to choose between serving your community and keeping up with your finances? We at Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps say “no!” That’s why starting this 2018-19 school year, we’re piloting new member benefits aimed at making managing your budget just a little bit easier.
Members serving in the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul can now receive up to $2,000 in housing assistance! The benefit will be paid biweekly (every two weeks) and no sign-up is required. Most metro members will also qualify for reduced transit fares through a new collaboration with Metro Transit’s Transportation Assistance Program. Members will pay $1.00 per ride (vs. the $2.25- $3.25 standard fare) using TAP cards that will be distributed during Institute. Our hope is that these new benefits will help offset the higher cost of living in the Twin Cities and allow those who would like to make a difference in their communities serve without financial worry.
“I think these new member benefits are great! I was already planning on taking the bus when the weather gets cold, so the discount for Metro Transit will save me a lot throughout the year!” says Reading Corps tutor Chelsea Smith of Saint Paul. “The additional housing assistance also makes choosing service over work easier when it comes to finances.” While these new benefits do not currently apply to 3 day/week members or those serving in Reading Corps pilots, we are working hard to study the impacts of these benefits with an eye toward possible continuation and expansion in the future.
If you have any questions about how these new benefits pertain to you, please email us. We’d love to hear your feedback!