Welcome to the premier edition of the Getting Ahead In A Just-Gettin’-By World newsletter. We are hoping to issue quarterly newsletters full of stories and statistics and information on the Getting Ahead Program as well as the Bridges Out of Poverty Initiative. However, this edition will be devoted to our recent Open House. We will be sharing with you some statistics, success stories, quotes and photos from the event. If you were one of the 100 people who did attend-Thank you. However even if you couldn’t attend we still want to share all the exciting things going on. We hope you enjoy this special edition of the newsletter. If you have any questions or comments, our contact information is included on the back page. Please feel free to call or e-mail us. We would love to hear from you. Welcome Getting Ahead In A Just-Gettin-By World Premier Edition November 2009 Open House Information The open house was held on November 12, 2009 from 7:00-9:00 pm at the Multi Cultural Family Center. We are so grateful to the Multi Cultural Family Center for providing us with a beautiful stage for our event. There were 100 people in attendance including 19 graduates from the Getting Ahead Classes. Those 19 graduates shared their stories and are some of the best advocates we can have to discuss the importance of the work being done with the classes. Music was provided by Allison, Emily and Andy Ott as well as Malia Wenny. The string quartet provided us with beautiful background music throughout the event. Those are four very talented children. And yes-for those of you who recognized the name-three of the musicians are Jim and Teresa Ott’s children. Food was generously donated by Divine Desserts, All Things Sweet, the Dubuque Rescue Mission, Carol Armstrong, Jessica Kieffer and Ermina Soler. After a short introduction by Jim Ott and Carroll Clark, Amy Eudaley a recent Getting Ahead graduate shared her story of climbing out of poverty and looking forward to a bright future. Ermina Soler, another Getting Ahead graduate and AmeriCorps Liaison for Getting Ahead also shared her story about the transition from poverty to middle class and the struggles involved in this transition. We also had a special guest speaker-Phillip DeVol (see photo on right). Mr. DeVol is the author of Getting Ahead In A Just- Gettin-By World. He was on hand to answer questions and meet each of the graduates personally. It was a wonderful evening for all involved.
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Welcome to the premier edition of the
Getting Ahead In A Just-Gettin’-By
World newsletter.
We are hoping to issue quarterly
newsletters full of stories and
statistics and information on the
Getting Ahead Program as well
as the Bridges Out of Poverty
Initiative.
However, this edition will be devoted
to our recent Open House.
We will be sharing with you some
statistics, success stories, quotes and
photos from the event.
If you were one of the 100 people who
did attend-Thank you.
However even if you couldn’t attend
we still want to share all the exciting
things going on. We hope you enjoy
this special edition of the newsletter.
If you have any questions or comments,
our contact information is included on
the back page. Please feel free to call
or e-mail us. We would love to hear
from you.
Welcome
Getting Ahead In A Just-Gettin-By World Premier Edition November 2009
Open House Information
The open house was held
on November 12, 2009
from 7:00-9:00 pm at the
Multi Cultural Family
Center.
We are so grateful to the
Multi Cultural Family
Center for providing us
with a beautiful stage for
our event.
There were 100 people in
attendance including 19
graduates from the
Getting Ahead Classes.
Those 19 graduates shared
their stories and are some
of the best advocates we
can have to discuss the
importance of the work
being done with the
classes.
Music was provided by
Allison, Emily and Andy
Ott as well as Malia
Wenny.
The string quartet
provided us with
beautiful background
music throughout the
event. Those are four
very talented children.
And yes-for those of you
who recognized the
name-three of the
musicians are Jim and
Teresa Ott’s children.
Food was generously
donated by Divine
Desserts, All Things
Sweet, the Dubuque
Rescue Mission, Carol
Armstrong, Jessica
Kieffer and Ermina
Soler.
After a short introduction
by Jim Ott and Carroll
Clark, Amy Eudaley a
recent Getting Ahead
graduate shared her
story of climbing out of
poverty and looking
forward to a bright
future.
Ermina Soler, another
Getting Ahead graduate
and AmeriCorps
Liaison for Getting
Ahead also shared her
story about the transition
from poverty to middle
class and the struggles
involved in this
transition.
We also had a special
guest speaker-Phillip
DeVol (see photo on
right).
Mr. DeVol is the author of
Getting Ahead In A Just-
Gettin-By World.
He was on hand to answer
questions and meet each of
the graduates personally.
It was a wonderful evening
for all involved.
Quotes from Getting Ahead Graduates
Poverty: The extent to which
an individual does without es-
sential resources.
Business Champions:
Dictionary.com defines a
champion as “a person who
fights for or defends any person
or cause: a champion of the
oppressed. “ A business
champion is an employer who
is someone willing to look past
a spotty resume long enough to
find out what kind of employee
is behind that resume, an
employer willing to give
preference to those who have
taken the Career Readiness
Certificate (CRC) or an
employer who is applying the
Bridges Out of Poverty
concepts at their workplace. In
short-an employer who is
willing to give a second chance
at employment for those who
typically don’t get a second
chance.
Four areas of research on
poverty:
Behaviors of the Individuals in
poverty: Research on choices,
behaviors and habits of
individuals in poverty.
Human and Social Capital in
the Community: Research done
on the conditions in a
community that cause poverty.
Exploitation: Research on how
people are exploited and how
that causes poverty.
Political/Economic Structures:
Research on political,
economic and social policies at
the international, national,
state and local levels that cause
poverty.
Talking the Talk- Getting Ahead Terminology
Mental Model: Mental models
are stories, analogies,
cartoons, charts, diagrams,
and drawings. Mental models
are helpful because they help
us remember, learn faster, see
the whole picture in its parts,
understand complex issues
and they don't rely on
spoken or written language.
Mental models:
- are an internal picture of
how the world works
- exist below awareness
- are theories in use, often
unexamined
- determine how we act
- can help or interfere with
learning.
Hidden Rules: The unwritten
cues and habits of a group.
Many times these rules come
from the environment in
which a person is raised.
“This program not only
changed my life-it saved my
life !”...a quote from a recent
graduate who stated that her
life was so entrenched in the
poverty mindset that she for-
got there was more out there.
Now she is setting goals and
moving on.
“I feel more empowered and
know that I can work toward
the goals I want to
succeed at.”
Question: Would you
recommend Getting Ahead to
others, and if so –why?
Answer: “Yes. So they can
see what is holding them back
from participating in life as a
whole.”
“It has helped me to realize
why I am in poverty.”
“ I learned to set realistic
goals.”
Question: Would you
recommend Getting Ahead to
others, and if so –why?
Answer: “Yes. Because it
helped me a lot and opened
doors for me that I didn’t
know were there for me.”
“This class was a great
experience for me and
everything I learned I will
carry with me always.”
“I’ve learned that the world is
for everyone!”
Page 2 Getting Ahead In A Just-Gettin-By World
Photo Gallery:
Since most of us work with numbers and the demand of numbers, we would like to share with you
how much of a financial impact a community can experience from just one Getting Ahead graduate
who becomes employed and no longer needs cash welfare, food stamps or housing.
On average, 1 person with 3 children receives $426.00 per month in FIP (cash welfare) benefits,
roughly $371.00 in food stamps and approximately $650.00 in housing assistance.
A family can be on FIP for up to five years. If a Getting Ahead graduate can get out of poverty and
never need FIP, this would save roughly $25,560.00
If this same family no longer needed food stamps, it would save $4452.00 per year. Many people are
on food stamps five years or more. This turns that 5 year savings into $22,260.00.
If that family is able to start paying all of their rent, that would be a savings of $7800.00 per year.
Using the same five years as above, that would equal $39,000.00.
All together the savings over just 5 years for a family who got off benefits could total $86,820.00.
Let’s see-we spend approximately $650.00 to put one person through the Getting Ahead program.
And with the right resources and abilities that graduate becomes self sufficient and in turn saves our
community over eighty six thousand dollars. Now that’s what I call a great return on an investment.
But best of all, of that graduate is able to break the cycle of poverty and keep their three children
from needing to utilize those services, not only has the quality of life improved greatly for that fam-
ily, but the amount of tax dollar savings jumps to an astonishing $260,460.00.
Now I don’t know how everyone defines a successful program-but I’ll let the dollar signs speak for
themselves!
How Getting Ahead Affects Tax Dollars
Page 3 November 2009 Wish List:
Volunteers:
childcare for class nights
and K.I.T meetings
transportation for K.I.T
meetings and occasionally
for class-mostly during the
cold months
meals during classes
mentors in a wide range of
areas
tutors for GED and college
level classes
presenters for K.I.T.
Supplies:
binders (22 per class-4
classes per year)
loose leaf/notebooks
calculators
pens and pencils
easel pads/flip charts
double sided tape
Miscellaneous:
Employers willing to be
Business Champions
Financial support that can
be used for leadership
trainings for graduates, the
cost of supporting one
person through the class
($650.00), door prizes,
transportation costs,
miscellaneous operating
expenses, etc…
Getting Ahead
Graduates and Staff
at the Open House
Statistics
Here are some statistics from the 6 classes who have completed the process and gradu-
ated.
Totals Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World group
93 total individuals were enrolled in the groups
Completion rate: 72% Drop out rate: 12% Incompletes (due to illness or job): 11%
Males: 34% Females: 66% Families with Children: 34%