On August 14, the Salvation Army of Michigan City began its next 12-week session of “Bridges Out of Poverty: Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’ By World.” The free class is designed to help attendees build skills and overcome challenges to create stability. It is offered twice a year.
“The end goal is to help people make significant changes in their lives so that they can move beyond where they are now and have greater success,” Corps Officer Major Rebecca “Becky” Simmons said.
The course goes beyond tackling financial barriers, focusing on other facets of life that could keep people in poverty. Topics can include everything from how childhood experiences impact adult life to the hidden barriers people may not recognize. The emphasis on a holistic approach to support sets “Bridges: Getting Ahead” apart from the many resources available for those in need.
“There are so many organizations out there that can only offer emergency assistance or a food pantry or utility assistance; they can’t do anything to actually move the person to a better place,” Salvation Army of Michigan City Development Director Jessica O’Brien said. “We want to be able to offer a whole continuum of services that really help address the issue of generational poverty and move people into a whole different place.”
The first step to helping people through “Bridges: Getting Ahead” is to get them in the door. To that end, the Salvation Army of Michigan City offers free childcare during sessions so that parents can attend as well as a free meal after each session.
Additionally, attendees are encouraged to continue coming to classes through the use of incentives awarded every three weeks; those who follow the class from start to finish will receive a free laptop courtesy of Comcast.
“Comcast has made a billion dollar and decades long commitment to digital equity, digital access, and digital education. Here in Northwest Indiana, we really like to see that effort work at a hyperlocal level,” Comcast’s Northern Indiana Community Relations Manager Philip Goodrich said. “Being a part of uplifting folks through access and education with technology is something that's a core value for us. Major Becky and her team are really doing a lot, and we can help bring more value to those that they're helping.”
The laptop helps level the digital playing field. In a world where digital skills are quickly becoming a necessity for most jobs, “Bridges: Getting Ahead” spends time ensuring attendees learn to navigate the digital landscape.
“Everything that we do in life is all digital now,” Goodrich said. “Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, you can't apply for a job if you don't have access to the ability to apply electronically. Your students can't do their homework after school if they don't have a computer. If you can't use those skills and those devices to succeed, you're really put at an unfair disadvantage to everybody else.”
At the end of the 12-week session, those who have completed all of the “Bridges: Getting Ahead” sessions will leave with their laptop and the skills they need to help them achieve their goals, financial or otherwise. Those in need of extra support, however, may be able to transition into the Salvation Army of Michigan City’s Pathways of Hope program.
“We want people to be successful, and we're willing to invest in people in order to help them be successful,” Simmons said. “Our Pathway of Hope Program is a 12-to-18-month case management program, and people can easily go through ‘Bridges: Getting Ahead,’ set some goals, and then enroll in Pathway of Hope.”
Whether your goals are related to finances, education, mental health, or any other aspect of life, the Salvation Army of Michigan City, with local support from businesses like Comcast, is here to help you achieve them.
To learn more about the Salvation Army of Michigan City and its programs, visit the organization’s website.
To stay up to date on everything Comcast is doing to support the Greater Chicago Region, including Northern Indiana, visit chicago.comcast.com.
