Winters in Manchester, NH can be long and brutally cold. Lauri DeMayo endured many chilly nights imagining what she would do if she could only manage to save a little money. Yet, as a woman living with muscular dystrophy and surviving on the meager wages earned as a data manager, purchasing her own home seemed a dream far beyond her reach. Every month she struggled to simply pay her bills, let alone save enough money to buy her own home. However, Lauri has always been a goal-oriented person. Throughout her 41 years, she has believed that hard work and determination were the keys to achieving those goals. So when a friend mentioned that a program existed that matched each dollar saved with $3 contributed by the organization, Lauri thought the opportunity sounded too good to be true.

The unofficial motto of Manchester, based on a Chamber of Commerce contest, is "Where History Invites Opportunity". The motto is certainly proving to be true for Lauri DeMayo. Because of MoneyWorks, a unique Individual Development Account (IDA) program that recruits individuals with disabilities, Lauri has already managed to save over half her projected goal. Under her Savings Plan Agreement, she plans to save $8,000 in just over two years- a quarter ($2000) of which comes from her earned income with the IDA program providing the other three-quarters ($6000).

Because Lauri's Muscular Dystrophy affects her speech, she finds it difficult to meet people that are patient and willing to listen to her. That is what she found at MoneyWorks, people that wanted her to succeed and took the time to really hear what she had to say. The price of accommodating Lauri's disability was a few extra minutes; in exchange, Lauri will join the 70% of Americans that own their own home.

Purchasing a home for anyone can prove an overwhelming task. The financial counseling that Lauri received aided her in dealing with the maze of assistance programs that exist for people with low incomes, as well as disabilities. MoneyWorks provided her with personal benefits planning that helped her find a variety of funding sources for homeownership as well as juggling the demands of her daily life. She also learned how to construct and stick to a budget that has enabled her to exceed everyone's expectations. MoneyWorks gave her strategies for saving and although there have been months when it has been difficult; Lauri enthusiastically insists that it has been well worth all the sacrifices. With any luck, (not to mention hard work) next winter Lauri will be spending the frosty New Hampshire nights in a home of her own.