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Getting Ahead is a program designed to help people who are living in poverty create a path for making a stable, secure life for themselves and their families. The sixteen people in the program met twice a week for nine weeks using a framework that is designed to give them insight into economic class and to help them create a “future story” for how they would like to better their own lives. The personal testimonies from two of the graduates were very moving, and it was clear that the program had a huge impact on all of the participants.
Foodshare is piloting this program this year (a second class will be held in the Fall) to evaluate it as a tool for helping to meet our goal of increasing the self-sufficiency of people in need. While we don’t know yet what the long term impact on the participants' lives will be, Sarah has identified and trained several “allies” – people who will meet one on one with program participants to help them move forward on the specific goals they have set for themselves. I’m sure we will learn more over the coming months and will use the information to evaluate if Foodshare will commit resources to continuing the program in the future. We will keep you posted!
Getting Ahead graduates have set goals for advancement and now they need your help. Only half of our current graduating class have an Ally to talk them through their ‘future stories.’ Allies meet monthly for 6 months to help the graduate carry out success plans. Qualifications include listening to their challenges, helping them work through solutions and being a resource for questions and information about succeeding in the workplace and other interactions with those in the middle class or in wealth. If you would be willing to meet with one of them and be an Ally to their success, please contact Sarah Santora directly at 860 286-9999 x105.
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