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.