Click here for our video from our last Out of Poverty Initiative Simulation
The Out of Poverty Initiative is a multi-faceted effort inspired by Ruby Payne, and her groundbreaking work of helping people understand those in poverty. The program is designed to engage everyone in the East Cooper area in the effort to eliminate poverty and make our community a better place to live.
The 5-step program is designed to:
1) Educate the community on the concepts outlined in Bridges Out of Poverty and the face of poverty here in East
Cooper area.
2) Engage the community in opportunities to work together on programs designed to strengthen the economic viability of our neighborhoods.
3) Investigate the root causes of generational poverty in a process that brings all economic classes, races and community leaders together.
4) Collaborate with a cross section of the community to design and develop new models for addressing the problems and limitations that contribute to poverty in our neighborhoods.
5) Take action to implement the ideas which are developed by the Bridge Out of Poverty Initiative.
We are currently focused on Step One: Education. Our outreach into the community includes the sponsoring of two programs:
1. BRIDGES OUT OF POVERTY WORKSHOP: a program designed to educate community leaders, service providers and volunteers. The goal of the program is to develop a common language and framework for understanding what it's really like to live in poverty, and the challenges associated with crossing the economic divide that separates the poor, middle and wealthy classes here in America.
In addition, the workshop is geared to cultivate interest, create buy-in, and inspire new ideas for making meaningful changes in the systems that can impact poverty issues.
2. GETTING AHEAD WORKSHOP: a four-month program designed to help people living in poverty understand the hidden rules of economic class, and developing the problem solving skills and resources required to help them become financially stable. At the close of the program, the graduates are paired with mentors who continue to support them as they apply their new learning and work toward the life goals they established in the workshop.
Please contact Gail Montgomery at
gmontgomery@eccocharleston.org or 416-7137.
Click here for our Out of Poverty Initiative FAQ
