Document Actions
If At First You Don't Succeed…: Kathleen Flannigan
"My disability enabled me to discover the world of nature and to claim my territory at a very early age; it has made me the artist I am today." Kathleen Flannigan
Kathleen Flannigan is an award-winning artist, whose work has been exhibited at galleries across the country. She has art degrees from the California College of Art and the University of California at Berkeley. In fact, her art was what first brought her to the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC). They asked to exhibit some of her work at their award dinner and mentioned a program that sounded like the break she needed.
Kathleen is no ordinary woman. At an age when most people are considering retirement or at least slowing down, Kathleen is just getting started. Her energy and enthusiasm (as well as being a "starving artist") made her a perfect candidate for the Individual Development Accounts (IDA) program. Yet, the first time she tried she just could not save money. It was not for lack of discipline, but rather lack of support from a variety of benefits programs.
The first time she tried the IDA program, Kathleen was not receiving HUD's Section 8 housing subsidy. Try as she could, making the $757 from Supplement Security Income (SSI) stretch far enough to pay the $614 a month in rent and the rest of her bills left nothing extra to save. Because of her Cerebral Palsy and Osteoarthritis, she also receives In- Home Support Services (IHSS) that allows her to pay for personal attendant services in her own home and retain her very independent nature. Once she started receiving Section 8, Kathleen was determined to make the IDA program work.
Kathleen says that the greatest lesson she learned through the financial counseling offered by EBALDC was discipline. They taught her how to create a budget and to write down every thing that she bought. It was then that Kathleen recognized the value of accountability, "If you have a record, then you realize how the trivial stuff really adds up". The IDA program gave her a sense of control over her life, and for a person with a disability, that can often be a gift more valuable than any amount of money.
Kathleen has already started her own business. She and two other artists with disabilities began ADEPT Studios in Berkeley, California. ADEPT stands for Artists with Disabilities Empowerment ProjecT. She wants the IDA money to expand the studio space into an open studio gallery, where they can display and sell their drawings, ceramics, and furniture. She had to write a business plan that enables her to see long-term goals and to do financial planning that will allow her to achieve those goals.
Kathleen's true goal is to get off SSI. "You live so badly. You have no choice. You have no freedom. You have to think about every single cent. I want a better life". Enrollment in the IDA program has given Kathleen not only the means to achieve that better life, but also the vision of what a better life could be. She is full of dreams and ideas for the future. However, she always stays just grounded enough to save $100 every month. When combining her savings with the matching contribution of $200 a month from EBALDC, Kathleen will reach her savings goal of $6000 in just two years.
Kathleen is proof that with the right combination of public benefits, financial discipline, and an opportunity to build assets, anyone at any age and of any ability can live their dreams.
You can see and purchase Kathleen's art at:
http://www.artfulstyle.com/ArtfulStore/products_by_artist.asp?artistid=293&sid=&fid=
Check out EBALDC's program at:
http://www.ebaldc.com/
See our Resources section for more information of the programs mentioned in this article.