C&F Bank Partners with GoVA Foundation to Support Military Families with Budgeting Tools


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On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, C&F Bank teamed up with the GoVA Foundation to present a nationwide webinar focused on empowering military families with practical financial skills. The session, “Recovering from Holiday Spending: Budget Reset for Military Families,” was designed to help attendees regain control of their finances after the holiday season.

The GoVA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to providing free, comprehensive financial education to service members, Veterans, and military families across the country.

The webinar was led by Mary Schoenfelder, Vice President and Retail Business Development Officer at C&F Bank. Mary shared actionable guidance on how to build a sustainable budget, including tips for setting financial priorities and distinguishing between needs and wants. Her approachable advice gave participants easy ways to reset their spending habits and begin the new year with confidence.

The event drew 70 registrants from across the United States, highlighting the demand for accessible financial resources within the military community. Feedback from participants reflected strong appreciation for the program, with one attendee sharing:

“These are amazing and so beneficial. Thank you for taking the time to put these together.” – A. Wolfgang

Lizann Lightfoot, VP of Marketing, GoVA Foundation also shared this, “GoVA Foundation is grateful to partner with C&F Bank to provide practical financial education to military families. Mary Schoenfelder's presentation was excellent! She shared actionable budgeting strategies and answered direct questions about managing household finances, debt priorities, and spouse communication around spending. This is exactly the kind of expert guidance our military community needs, and we're excited to continue this partnership throughout 2026."

C&F Bank looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the GoVA Foundation to support the financial well-being of those who serve.
 
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Key insights from Mary included:
  • What budget is, is telling your money where you want it to go instead of trying to sit down and figure out where it went.
  • Mary emphasized breaking those goals down into smaller bite-sized pieces.
  • She also explained that it's really helpful to break goals down into something that actually makes sense for you and your family on a weekly basis.
  • Mary noted that many people have subscriptions they didn’t even realize they still had — and canceling them could easily free up $25 a week for savings.
  • She stressed that setting up automatic transfers, whether for debts or savings, is very important and will keep you on track.
  • Mary shared that online grocery shopping is wonderful because you're able to look at your grocery cart as you're going along.
  • No one in a grocery store ever puts anything back when they’re in line,' she laughed — explaining how online shopping has helped her stay on track and cut expenses through smarter grocery planning and meal prepping.