February 8, 2006
Classes tackle poverty
TC seminar addresses money, heating issues
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
From budgeting to saving on heating costs to help with taxes, Super Saturday was geared to helping individuals and families make their way out of poverty.
The seminar, held at the Career Tech Center, drew an estimated 90 people who could check out information booths, shop at a garage sale, assess career choices or learn how to boost and stretch their income. Each of three sessions during the day featured four or five different classes attendees could choose from.
"They are great topics and I'm going to hit every one - I'm here for the day," said Karen Nugent of Traverse City. "The garage sale is just an added bonus."
The garage sale, which was open to the public, sold donated items to raise funds for the upcoming Walk for Warmth initiative. This program will hold walks around the region on February 25 to raise money to help low income people pay for heating costs.
Friday evening, volunteers sorted all the donations and arranged them on tables by category in the Career Tech Center's Auto Mechanics Room. The sale offered a range of clothing, shoes and coats for all ages as well as toys, outdoor equipment and stuffed animals.
"I'm looking for stuffed animals and toys to buy for everybody," said Dorothy Salisbury of Traverse City, who has run a daycare out of her home for 26 years. "I get new stuff for them."
Jim Rowlette, chair of the Poverty Reduction Initiative's steering committee, deemed the second Super Saturday a resounding success. The previous event was held in early November at the same location and drew 59 individuals or families.
"The people that came were really committed to learning something and helping themselves do better," said Rowlette of Saturday's event. "They were there with a purpose: to help improve themselves; that made me feel quite good because we weren't wasting our time."
Kim Dougherty of Honor attended Super Saturday at the recommendation of the Michigan Works program, taking in sessions on conserving energy and money management. Unemployed for a year, Dougherty is struggling to find a career at middle age. The longtime factory worker or cashier finds herself either over- or under-qualified.
"I'd like to do something in the skilled trades," she said. "I'd like to change modes."
By appointment, volunteers from the Northwest Michigan Tax Coalition helped people prepare their income tax returns. The eight volunteers did a brisk business.
"We started doing this last year, had it at Central and helped maybe 30 families," said Susan McQuaid, director of the United Way Volunteer Center. "The Earned Income Tax Credit is the big thing, it's there but people don't know about it."
Numerous human services agencies had booths at the event, including the Women's Resource Center, Coalition Health Access Program, Third Level, Northwest Michigan Human Services Agency and the Goodwill Inn. Three area banks had representatives to explain basics of managing money, from checking accounts to savings plans to mortgages.
The Super Saturday concept is an outgrowth of the Poverty Reduction Initiative and is a partnership among a range of human service agencies. The initiative formally launched two years ago and has working groups addressing six areas: jobs and economy, education and training, health, housing, social attitudes and early childhood.
"The two spark plugs behind this event were the Career Tech Center and the Northwest Michigan Human Services Agency," noted Rowlette. "The whole project is part of the Poverty Reduction Initiative's education and training group."