B&A in the Community: Bridges Out Of Poverty

Sherman, Texas, like many other U.S. cities, is facing the challenges of changing demographics, an aging population, the loss of clean manufacturing jobs increasingly replaced by lower paying, part-time retail positions, and the persistent problems associates with substance abuse.

In search of answers, 23 people from Sherman, representing the city government, non-profit social service agencies, the school system and local churches came together recently in search of aha! moments and holistic answers to alleviating poverty in the area.

Hosted by MasterKey Ministries, a local educational outreach providing support to Hispanic children and adults, the all-day workshop, facilitated by Virginia Brooks and co-facilitator Stephanie Tyson from McKinney, was  based on the “Bridges Out of Poverty” framework developed by Dr. Ruby Payne of aha! Process.

Key take-aways from the interactive session included the following:

• Poverty is the extent to which individuals go without resources.
• These resources include financial, emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, support systems, relationship/role models and knowledge of hidden rules of economic class.
• Access to education and community resources are necessary to transition out of poverty.
• No significant learning takes place without a significant relationship.
• People of wealth are driven by Connections.  People of middle class are driven by Achievement.  People of poverty are driven by Relationships.
• Poverty is best alleviated when all players are at the table.
• Connections + Achievement + Relationships = Success

Learn more about Bridges Out of Poverty at www.ahaprocess.com .