Gizella Bibiano was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Thailand and Puerto Rico. The bilingual, multicultural Bibianos are committed to improving their lives and producing an economically stable life for their children. Andres, her husband, had polio as a child and now uses crutches and a leg brace to aid his mobility. Andres is the primary caretaker for their two boys, while Gizella works as an Administrative Assistant at the main branch of the Library.

To help the family pursue their goal of financial stability for the future, Gizella participated in the Individual Development Account (IDA) program sponsored by the Mount Hope Housing Company in the Bronx. The IDA Program, one of Mount Hope's most innovative programs, and the first in New York State , is a savings and match program for low-income families looking to accumulate savings for the purposes of buying a home, pursuing post-secondary education or capitalizing small businesses. IDAs are unique savings accounts in which each dollar saved by participants is matched with grant funding to go toward the purchase of an asset with long-term potential. This asset purchase thereby serves as a cornerstone for additional wealth building for famiiles who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Offering a $2 match for every $1 saved by participants up to $1,500, for combined savings of $4,500 and match.. The program requires a monthly deposit of between $30-$125, 10 hours of money management training classes, and further classes that are specific to the asset savings goal. Currently, Gizella attends homeownership workshop classes and continues to save to reach the level needed for a down payment on a home. The Mount Hope program requires that participants purchase homes in the Bronx as a reinvestment in their community. The Bibianos next step is to find just the right place for them to call home.

Because the Bibianos are saving for the down payment on a home, both Gizella and Andres were encouraged to attend classes. The program offers a variety of assistance to make class attendance less of a struggle. In addition to providing classes and materials in Spanish, Mount Hope provides child care and a flexible schedule of classes, allowing participants to attend either Saturday or Tuesday and Thursday evening classes. Offering classes and materials in Spanish is crucial for the predominately Latino area of Mount Hope (66%), 41.8% of the IDA program participants have a Hispanic background.; For the Bibianos, this was an important accommodation as Andres primarily speaks Spanish.

Gizella states that receiving financial counseling has dramatically altered not only her spending habits, but also the way she looks at money and the future for her and her family. Despite being the sole source of income for the family, Gizella quickly became an expert at creating a budget and sticking to it. With the collaboration between Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) and the Mount Hope IDA program, Gizella learned about credit, debt management, mortgages, goal setting and the value of savings. She not only saved through the IDA, she was also able to simultaneously eliminate her credit card debt. She believes the matching funds provided by the IDA program was an incredible incentive to save. Because the matching funds cannot be accessed until the program requirements are met and even then are turned directly over to the mortgage company, Gizella thinks that this ultimately was the key to fulfilling the strict guidelines established by NACA and Mount Hope.

For the Bibianos, involvement in these programs marks a shift in their attitude toward the future. Gizella believes that, in Latino culture, people are not encourage to save money. She says that she did not grow up with an understanding of money management and that many in her neighborhood feel the same way. Gizella now knows that planning for her future and the stable life she wants to create for her children is extremely hard work, but that being responsible will reward the Bibianos with a home of their own and a legacy for generations to come.