In many young adult lives, opening a checking account (or savings, if you’re lucky) is a rite of passage. But paying taxes, stretching a paycheck to cover monthly expenses, finding, building and managing credit or applying for loans or mortgages, are not innate skills. And if they’re not passed down from parents, the basics of managing money are not widely taught outside the home.
The Floating Hospital understands this and our health education team regularly offers workshops and one-on-one advising to those who need a better understanding of how to manage a household effectively and what is expected of them legally. At Camp Rise Up, some of the basics of money management are also covered in the later classes. More recently, Jonathan Mojica, coordinator for families in temporary housing, has stepped up to offer new financial workshops that focus on credit, a crucial component of financial success.
“The goal of the program is to provide practical tools that empower individuals to better understand money management and build confidence in their financial decisions,” he said.
Mojica has conducted eight workshops for groups of around eight to 11 participants. Some staff have attended as well. “These sessions focus on small, practical financial steps families can take — saving, rebuilding credit, and setting up long-term stability. I also highlight the importance of including children in these conversations to foster early financial awareness.” He measures impact through followup with staff social workers and what he hears from participants who want to keep improving their financial health.
The sessions he has led also cover basic skills “and understanding how to manage expenses while also tailoring discussions to the unique challenges our patients face.” His focus is on “making the information approachable and actionable, so participants leave with steps they can apply right away.”
Before joining The Floating Hospital, Mojica had a series of management jobs in the food service industry where he built “strong skills in leadership, customer service and communication.” Born in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx, he is one of five siblings. He noted that his parents’ 30-year relationship taught him what it means to be dedicated to “values of commitment and perseverance.”
He came to The Floating Hospital “to transition into the healthcare field and apply my experience in service and communication toward helping families.” He was hired as a patient navigator and “quickly noticed the importance of improving our online presence and accessibility.”
As a parent of five himself, he said he “understood how valuable Google reviews and information can be when choosing a provider.” He suggested to the team and manager Maritza Medina that they “create a QR code system that linked families directly to Google, allowing them to easily leave feedback and access information about our services.”
He witnessed how the “initiative helped strengthen family engagement and provided valuable insight into their experiences.” He also trained the navigation team to use it “to connect better with families and collect input for continued improvement. Together, we found ways to enhance communication and improve overall satisfaction during family visits.”
He came to the attention of families in temporary housing director Ivan Romero during our Staff Spirit Week, when he presented his project and ideas. Romero promoted him to coordinator for families in temporary housing, “a role I’ve proudly held for the past two years. Every day, I find purpose and joy in helping families connect to vital resources and build stability,” he said.
During the pandemic shutdowns, he decided to use some of his free time to learn more about personal finance. “I read Credit Secrets by Scott and Alison Hilton and other books several times until I had a full understanding. Then I applied the strategies to rebuild my own credit and assist my family.” He said that seeing the results firsthand inspired him to develop his own take on the Financial Literacy Workshop for the families we serve.
Always looking to continue his education, he continues to read personal and professional development books in his spare time. When he’s not seeing to his own children’s development — “keeping their minds active and engaged with new ideas and challenges, he likes to cook (“as a form of therapy”), watch sports and relax at the beach.
