Area Professionals Look To Alleviate Poverty
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Tim [email protected]
The group was attending a workshop called "Bridges Out of Poverty," led by author and consultant Philip DeVol, of aha! Process Inc.[[In-content Ad]]The workshop was a follow-up to a seminar held in January by Dr. Ruby Payne, on understanding poverty.
Both workshops were organized by the Kosciusko County Community Foundation as part of the foundation's Helping Overcome Poverty's Effects Initiative.
H.O.P.E. Co-Chair Brenda Rigdon said the aim of this week's workshop was to explore some practical ways local agencies, businesses and churches can organize to alleviate local poverty.
"We had the theory when Ruby Payne came. Now, Phil DeVol is bringing us a model to fit the theory," said Rigdon.
DeVol spoke on key elements of helping people transition out of poverty and stay out of poverty. "Poverty is a community problem and a personal problem," DeVol said.
He said relationships are they key. "Significant change only comes with significant relationship," DeVol said.
To help alleviate poverty in the community, DeVol said, agencies, businesses and individuals must focus on both establishing good relationships with those in poverty and on setting goals to affect community action and policies.
"You have to have a higher intention," he said.
Attendees discussed using new knowledge to understand hidden rules of poverty, middle class and wealth, identify barriers to getting out of poverty, understand support systems and implement their new understanding to the way their agencies and businesses work.
Amanda Rose is a social worker with Kosciusko Homecare and Hospice.
"I think the big thing is understanding those hidden rules," she said. "We function on middle-class ideologies, but, in my office, we service everyone. Just knowing how to transform my communication will help me connect better with clients."
Rose said the workshop will be valuable to her entire office. She said she plans to take the information and skills she learned at the workshop and teach it to the other social workers at her office who will, in turn, teach it to the rest of the staff.
Gina and Joe Clevenger, of Source 1 Insurance, said they gained new insight into improving their listening skills.
"Understanding about the hidden rules will help us hear more of what clients are saying to us and help us figure out what their needs are," Gina said.
"We've learned new and better ways to connect with our clients," said Joe.
DeVol said Kosciusko County has a head start on battling poverty.
"You already have the H.O.P.E. steering committee, you're already on this journey," he said.
This year, the HOPE initiative awarded $100,000 in grants for projects to reduce local poverty. According to the KCCF, poverty was chosen as the area of impact based on data from the census, area schools and Indiana Youth Institute showing increases in the number of children and families in poverty in Kosciusko County.
In addition to grants, HOPE committees were started to address the impacts of poverty on specific areas like education and health care.
DeVol said the involvement in the local committees of people from all areas of the socio-economic spectrum is a key next step toward alleviating local poverty.
"You need to get groups of people who can work together to support people's transitions out of poverty," he said.
For more information about the HOPE Initiative, call the KCCF at 574-267-1901 or visit www.kcfoundation.org For information on "Bridges Out of Poverty" and other resources, visit www.ahaprocess.com
The group was attending a workshop called "Bridges Out of Poverty," led by author and consultant Philip DeVol, of aha! Process Inc.[[In-content Ad]]The workshop was a follow-up to a seminar held in January by Dr. Ruby Payne, on understanding poverty.
Both workshops were organized by the Kosciusko County Community Foundation as part of the foundation's Helping Overcome Poverty's Effects Initiative.
H.O.P.E. Co-Chair Brenda Rigdon said the aim of this week's workshop was to explore some practical ways local agencies, businesses and churches can organize to alleviate local poverty.
"We had the theory when Ruby Payne came. Now, Phil DeVol is bringing us a model to fit the theory," said Rigdon.
DeVol spoke on key elements of helping people transition out of poverty and stay out of poverty. "Poverty is a community problem and a personal problem," DeVol said.
He said relationships are they key. "Significant change only comes with significant relationship," DeVol said.
To help alleviate poverty in the community, DeVol said, agencies, businesses and individuals must focus on both establishing good relationships with those in poverty and on setting goals to affect community action and policies.
"You have to have a higher intention," he said.
Attendees discussed using new knowledge to understand hidden rules of poverty, middle class and wealth, identify barriers to getting out of poverty, understand support systems and implement their new understanding to the way their agencies and businesses work.
Amanda Rose is a social worker with Kosciusko Homecare and Hospice.
"I think the big thing is understanding those hidden rules," she said. "We function on middle-class ideologies, but, in my office, we service everyone. Just knowing how to transform my communication will help me connect better with clients."
Rose said the workshop will be valuable to her entire office. She said she plans to take the information and skills she learned at the workshop and teach it to the other social workers at her office who will, in turn, teach it to the rest of the staff.
Gina and Joe Clevenger, of Source 1 Insurance, said they gained new insight into improving their listening skills.
"Understanding about the hidden rules will help us hear more of what clients are saying to us and help us figure out what their needs are," Gina said.
"We've learned new and better ways to connect with our clients," said Joe.
DeVol said Kosciusko County has a head start on battling poverty.
"You already have the H.O.P.E. steering committee, you're already on this journey," he said.
This year, the HOPE initiative awarded $100,000 in grants for projects to reduce local poverty. According to the KCCF, poverty was chosen as the area of impact based on data from the census, area schools and Indiana Youth Institute showing increases in the number of children and families in poverty in Kosciusko County.
In addition to grants, HOPE committees were started to address the impacts of poverty on specific areas like education and health care.
DeVol said the involvement in the local committees of people from all areas of the socio-economic spectrum is a key next step toward alleviating local poverty.
"You need to get groups of people who can work together to support people's transitions out of poverty," he said.
For more information about the HOPE Initiative, call the KCCF at 574-267-1901 or visit www.kcfoundation.org For information on "Bridges Out of Poverty" and other resources, visit www.ahaprocess.com
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