Shortly after Brian retired in 2019 from his job as a portfolio manager and family trust officer, an alert in his senior center newsletter about the volunteer Money Management Program caught his eye. He recognized that the program would fit nicely with what he did for a living and thought that it would be interesting to see what money management would be like on the other end the spectrum from the high-net-worth individuals he worked with professionally. In some ways, the work has been incredibly eye-opening, but fundamentally, his experience in working with people around the sensitive issue of money has been the common denominator in Brian’s transition to serving as an MMP volunteer.

Brian has had four matches in the Money Management Program so far. While his first match was a very brief one, Brian soon had two concurrent longer-term matches: one with a 92-year old woman, “Jane,” who struggled with the influence and demands of her children on her very low income; and the other with “Lyndon,” a 74-year old contemporary who was a stroke survivor facing social isolation. With Jane, the problem she was facing was straightforward and financially focused, and Brian was able to help her protect her income. With Lyndon, Brian recognized both a kindred spirit and someone who was missing the opportunity for stimulating conversation. They enjoyed digressions into current events and Boston sports teams while Brian worked on physically writing checks, advocating with the housing authority, and helping Lyndon with recertifications of his rental subsidy and MassHealth coverage.

When Brian moved in 2024, a different volunteer took over these relationships and Brian asked Sue Burns, MMP Manager, to consider matching him with a new client. According to Sue, “Matches are largely about chemistry and trust. Having an experienced and professional volunteer like Brian opens up the possibility of helping older adults with more complex financial problems.” Sue matched Brian with “Betty” in early 2025, while she was in the midst of dealing with the fallout of a romance scam in which she was persuaded to buy cellphones and tablets with cellular services attached and ship them to the scammers. She lost nearly all of her modest savings to the scam, and Brian has helped her adjust her budget and prioritize the payments of essential expenses.

According to Betty, “Both Brian and Sue are absolutely wonderful. Brian is so astute. Together we decide which things I can pay for, and I listen to him because he knows his job.” Brian is philosophical about his experience in the Money Management Program, saying, “It’s nice to be helpful, and it keeps me stimulated and learning new things.” For Sue, a volunteer like Brian is a true asset to the program – his professionalism, his knowledge-base, and his ability to work with a wide variety of clients is invaluable.

To learn more about the Money Management Program and becoming a volunteer, visit our website at springwell.com.