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Seven Unique Programs that Empower People to Leave Poverty Behind |
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Here's a look at seven Catholic Charities programs that give people the skills, the knowledge, the confidence, and the support to change their lives and their circumstances. Getting people to see the greater benefit of learning how to fish---learning the skills in order to become financially stable and self-sufficient---is one of the key goals of Neighbor to Neighbor, a faith-based life skills and financial literacy program developed by Catholic Charities in Evansville, IN, that helps people in financial crisis take concrete steps to improve their lives. When a family is living paycheck to paycheck, goals such as owning their own home, starting a small business, or funding higher education for their children seem completely out of reach. The Worth Waiting For (WWF) program of Community Maternity Services, an agency of Catholic Charities in Albany, NY, provides youth between the ages of 10 and 19 and their parents with resources for, and direct assistance with, abstinence education, family strengthening, and community service linkage. The support groups are facilitated by a mental health therapist, an AODA counselor and the jail chaplain. Because all information shared in the group is confidential and is not reported back to the jail staff or to probation and parole officers, Beginnings provides a safe environment for the inmates to take an honest look at their behaviors and make changes. Many children in our country grow up not just in income poverty, but in the poverty of absent fathers. As a community-based mental health counseling program, the Fatherhood Initiative provides group counseling and education sessions to help fathers develop personally and socially, so that they can positively affect the lives of their children.
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