Ana’s Path to Stability and Strength
Anna & Her Family
For 15 years, Ana Soto has been a steady, generous presence in the Northwest Independence community — volunteering at CSL events, cooking for neighbors, and showing up with her children by her side. She loves being part of a community that looks out for one another.
But like many families, Ana carried the weight of medical bills, household debt, and unexpected expenses that always seemed to arrive at the worst time. She wanted to get ahead, not just get by — and to give her children a different financial future than the one she grew up with.
One day, a CSL staff member told her about a savings and wealth-building opportunity designed specifically for families in her neighborhood. Ana enrolled in August 2023, hopeful but unsure of what she could realistically accomplish.
What happened next changed everything.
Through her own determined savings — matched by CSL — Ana has been able to:
Pay off lingering medical bills
Eliminate debt that had been holding her back
Remodel her kitchen, creating a safer, more functional space for her family
Handle emergencies, like sudden car repairs or medical needs, without crisis
Ana says that having a real savings cushion has given her something she didn’t have before: confidence. She’s even begun talking with her children about the importance of saving, planting seeds that will grow long after her own journey is complete.
Only after watching families like Ana thrive does it become clear just how powerful this initiative is.
CSL’s Wealth and Asset Development programs, funded entirely by philanthropy, help families build financial resilience and long-term stability. The program serving Northwest Independence is currently on track to match participants’ savings up to a cumulative $500,000 — transforming not just individual households, but the economic wellbeing of the neighborhood itself.
Since 2017, across both of CSL’s wealth-building programs, 347 participants have saved more than $1.6 million.
Because of supporters like you, families like Ana’s aren’t just surviving — they’re building futures. One choice, one deposit, one milestone at a time.