I Love My Job

by Judith Allee,

Parent Support Coordinator

I love my job. You would, too. I teach a class called Getting Ahead for parents who are within 200% of the federal poverty level. During class, each class member creates his or her own personal plan to escape from poverty. It's fun and exciting to see the innovative solutions these parents create for themselves and their families.

There is a lot of thinking, processing and decision-making involved and the work can be overwhelming. It is an exciting program that offers real hope for change. Below I am pasting in some personal stories about our graduates that you might enjoy.

Getting Ahead Stories
Marilyn, a graduate of the Getting Ahead class with diabetes and clinical depression, got a 25-cent-an-hour raise at Meijers, triggering a slash in food stamps, housing, childcare and the loss of her medical card. To escape poverty, she must figure out how to earn not a little more—which left her worse off than before—but a lot more.

Employers can be part of the solution, and they can save money at the same time. For example, Cascade Engineering used Bridges Out of Poverty strategies to increase retention of entry-level employees from 29% to 69% by addressing barriers to work, like childcare, transportation, and domestic violence. By significantly lowering costs through better retention, Cascade was able to "do well by doing good." Locally, by partnering with St. Vincent de Paul and other organizations, we hope to add CirclesTM to our Getting Ahead program. A national initiative affiliated with Getting Ahead, Circles matches a team of volunteers from business and faith communities with Getting Ahead graduates. The Circle works with them until they are completely out of poverty.

As for Marilyn? She got out from under payday lenders, got her bills caught up, and opened a direct-deposit savings account for $5 a paycheck.

We have had about 100 Getting Ahead graduates since 2006. Here are some of their stories:

• A., 27, (graduated in June 2007) has gotten her GED and started college for nursing. Her children were temporarily removed due to a boyfriend's drug use and production. He's now in prison. She has completed her case plan with Children's Services and now has custody of 2 of her children and is regularly visiting the other 2 children. She volunteers to speak for Getting Ahead classes and helps other women formulate their plan.
• M., 30+ (June 2006), took a hard look at the colored pie-chart she made to represent her budget. By making it a visual mental model, she realized what a large chunk was eaten up by cigarettes in a way that numbers didn't. She set the goal of quitting, but her first few attempts failed. However, on Jan. 1, 2007, she quit smoking and has been smoke free ever since. That helped make it financially possible for her to maintain the home she purchased for herself and her daughter, despite having only social security disability income. She speaks regularly to GA classes, stressing the many hidden rules she encounters, and she was the MHA Parent Support 2007 Volunteer of the Year for her work teaching parenting classes, volunteering to teach classes in the jail, and helping to mentor parents in Getting Ahead classes.
• L., 45+ (June 2006), made it her goal to establish an emergency fund, despite living on disability income due to multiple schlerosis. She also made a point of building her social resources by connecting with people from college she had lost touch with. She was surprised to see that the class enabled her to build resources even though she is unable to increase her income. She, too, speaks to GA classes and mentors people in making their plans and she teaches parenting classes and volunteers as a nursing home ombudsman.
• B., in her mid-20s (grad. In June 2007), has entered the Individual Development Account, a first-time home buyers program. She is in process of improving her credit score so that she will qualify for a 2 to 1 dollar match for a down payment.
• B., late 20s (graduated June 2006), has returned to college and is planning to become an advocate for people with mental illness in order to honor a relative who disappeared without a trace. She credits GA with that plan and with numerous changes in her thinking and in her life.
• Fatina Evans (June 2007) and Stephanie Duffy (Dec. 2006), are current co-facilitators of our Getting Ahead classes. Fatina, Stephanie and T. (Dec. 2006) became AmeriCorps workers as part of their personal Getting Ahead plans. As a result they were able to teach GA classes and provide one-on-one financial coaching and tax preparation for GA members and grads. T. completed one year of AmeriCorps working with first-time home buyers; this qualified her to receive a $4000 award toward college. Stephanie is in her second AmeriCorps year (which will result in an $8000 award toward college, where she plans to go into social work). Fatina is in her first year of AmeriCorps, assigned to Mental Health America. She also provides financial literacy classes at the Licking County Jail.
  
• Fatina is the new "point person" for the initiative to bring CirclesTM to Licking County. She is helping to bring about a collaboration of organizations in Licking County with the goal of raising $25,000 over 3 years to establish the Circles. Circles would offering mentoring to Getting Ahead graduates. Each grad selected for Circle would become a Circle leader for a team of 3-6 allies from the middle class who would meet weekly for 18 months. The team's purpose is to access each members own networks in the community, brainstorm on planning and resources, and to bring the family completely out of poverty.
• C., 50+, (Dec. 2006), and J., 40+ (a current class member), who were already AmeriCorps workers, entered Getting Ahead classes, creating a viral effect in the community as they provide free financial coaching and tax preparation with a better understanding of the hidden rules.
• S., in her 30's and a survivor of domestic violence, applied for college while attending Getting Ahead. She has started classes toward nursing, despite little or no emotional support for her decision.
• S., 45+, a current GA member who serves on village council in a rural area, has proposed that two rural communities consider banning or regulating payday lending. Her advocacy has not yet resulted in action as yet, but she's not done yet!
• M., in her 30s (grad. Fall 2006), chose to work on being more healthy as a part of her Getting Ahead plan. She took a hard look at why her diet wasn't working, despite sticking to a stringent diet and exercise program. Feeling amazed and foolish, she realized she wasn't counting on the effect of calories from alcohol, and decided to stop drinking. She had always assumed she could quit, but it wasn't that easy, That's when she realized she was an alcoholic. She has spent the last year focusing on her sobriety.

Numerous GA grads and current members report that

1. They are using daily planning tools consistently for the first time in their lives and that it helps them keep moving toward their goals and reduces their stress and sense of being caught in the "tyranny of the moment" that keeps people stuck. They also report that they are better able to keep track of the numerous social work and health-related appointments that people in poverty have, so they can receive the help they need to move ahead.
2. They are more likely to make their voices heard. One graduate, for example, told the social service workers in her life that she intended to become a Getting Ahead success story and wanted to interview the people who support her effort over the next few years so she can write about it later. It's true. But this approach has had an impact on her relationship with those workers and on how seriously she is taken.

Spreading the Love

The YES Club teenagers have been real busy lately. We are forming a singing group, we have been working on acts of kindness, such as: our PEACE RALLY march, reaching out to a fifteen year old girl who is dealing with cancer, and next we will be going to Granville to ask for Thanksgiving donation items, and then we will share them with some of our wonderful families. Yes Club is a great place to be- and we represent peace, love, service and most of all-FAMILY.

Here is a link to a recent story in the Newark Advocate about our PEACE rally.

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20081117/UPDATES01/81117045/1051/COMMUNITIES01

PAVE Helping Families Helping Families

Well, the weather has officially changed. Now that Ohio has seen its first snow, many people are preparing for the holiday season. As PAVE coordinator, I am exposed to children and teens on a daily basis. I have noticed that many of the children do not look forward to the holidays like “most” people. The children may not have money, may be a foster child, or just have a bad memory from past holidays. I think it is important that people share the gifts they have with others all the time, but most importantly during the holiday season. The PAVE program has decided to participate in the Families Helping Families program through the Licking County Job and Family Services that buys gifts for needy families, so that parents have something to give to their children on Christmas. I think service learning projects, like gift giving, allow children see how powerful and rewarding giving back to people can be. I am glad that The PAVE club has the chance to participate in the program to share our gifts with some of the people that need the most.

The 2008 holiday season is probably going to be rough on many people. With a very weak economy, very high unemployment rate, or whatever else people might be facing, I encourage those of us that have the ability to make this holiday season better for someone else to do so. You may never know how much of an impact you can have one someone by sending them a card, or just wishing them happy holidays.

For more information on the Families Helping Families program, please contact Job & Family Services at 740-670-8999.

--Ashley Shaw
PAVE Coordinator

Since last week was the time for ghosts, goblins, and other creatures with Trick or Treating through the town, it is another opportunity to remind folks about keeping our kids safe. I recall running all around my neighborhood as a princess or gypsy collecting all the candy the neighbors would pass out when I was young. I’m sure that one of my parents must have been with me at some point, but I can’t seem to remember how old I was when they stopped accompanying me. I remember how the other kids would stay out late so we could enjoy the last warm evenings as summer faded into fall playing “Ghost in the Graveyard”. Watching the new church building taking shape and playing “King of the Hill” on the huge mounds of dirt was the best for good, “clean” fun.

All that seems so long ago. Today you can’t play in those building sites – liability issues, the threat of thefts of materials and more prohibit using those areas as makeshift playgrounds. Children today may not know their neighbors well enough to run through their yards at night for fear of being attacked by their dogs or maybe the fear of being shot. And trick or treat? Best not be tricking anybody for the same reasons! Instead we can take our children to the mall or on the square. Maybe we find churches offering a harvest or fall celebration, or “trunk or treat” as alternatives. When did the joy start slipping away from childhood? Not that these are bad alternatives, but when did being a child become so dangerous that these alternatives became necessary? When did we lose sight of who are neighbors truly are?

How could anyone hurt a child, an innocent? Yet we know it happens all too often. We have to work harder at being aware parents. Aware neighbors. Aware of how we as a member of our village can help raise a safe, healthy, successful child. Do you recall thinking as a child, “I can’t wait to grow up and get out of this place!” I did – to an extent. It seems though, that the older I became, the more I wanted to return here. When I became a parent, I knew I wanted my children to grow up in Licking County. I remembered the vibrant leaves changing, the beautiful snowfalls, the bags of candy (and it was the good stuff!) and the sense of community at Halloween. I remember Santa coming to Southgate a few weeks later and greeting me in his temporary house. There I was in line with so many other exuberant children, feeling so safe in my community. Let’s be parents, neighbors and families that truly represent “community” in the best sense of the word and watch out for the safety of every child we encounter. We can’t afford to turn our backs on those children, because all too soon, they grow up to become our teachers, our doctors, our firefighters, our neighbors. A safe and healthy childhood is what every child deserves.

--Jan GreenRiver

Dir. of Prevention & Programs