Latest news with #BridgesCooperativeMinistry
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Latest cohort graduates from ‘Getting Ahead' program in Johnstown
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — Almost four months after meeting the newest cohort of the 'Getting Ahead' program, they're now graduates. The program is facilitated by Bridges Cooperative Ministry, a ministry group of Franklin Street Church in downtown Johnstown. 'What we're seeing is within one year after graduating that over half of our graduates will actually see increases in their income. They'll see increases in their assets, decreases in their liabilities, their debts. And so, we're super excited for what the future holds for our grads,' Bridges Cooperative Ministry Executive Director, Sonya Dunlap-Horner, said. Since the program began in 2015, 164 people have completed the program, including this year's graduates. Centre County to begin distributing farmers' market vouchers following funding delays Dunlap-Horner said the entire team is proud of the graduates, especially after witnessing the challenges they've faced and dealing with change. They've all become a family over the four months, leaning on each other for support. 'It was not easy. It was hard. But trust me, once you decide to dedicate yourself to what you're doing, put in the hard work, you're going to make it,' Cyndi Jean Pierre, a 2025 graduate, said. Now that she's graduated from the program, Cyndi said she's ready for the next step. 'I am very happy that I finally accomplished my goal with 'Getting Ahead.' And, I am just so ready for the next step in my life, which, first on my list, would be definitely going back to college, because I'm definitely trying to make a better experience and better living for me and my daughter,' Jean Pierre said. The Getting Ahead program is partnering with local banks to teach their students financial management. They will start a financial literacy program in the fall with Ameriserv Bank. Once they complete the full ten weeks, they will receive a $150 savings account that will be opened in their name. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Getting Ahead' program starts new cohort to beat poverty in the community
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — Bridges Cooperative Ministry, a ministry group of Franklin Street Church in downtown Johnstown, has started a new cohort of the 'Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin'-By World' program. Each cohort meets for 16 weeks as a small group in a safe and supportive environment where they can express their ideas freely and learn from one another. 'We've had 159 graduates. We started in 2015,' Carolyn Varchol, Program Director of Bridges to Success said. The program operates under Bridges to Success, which also works to move the community away from poverty. Varchol says everyone's journey out of poverty is different, which is why the classes are modeled after people who have experienced it. 'It's designed by folks who have been struggling to get by, and some of the folks have actually designed some of the modules. And some of the folks who come to this class, a lot of them are recruited by other folks who've taken the class,' Varchol said. In every new cohort, a recent graduate works as a facilitator who's received the same training and understands where they've been. 'I do see myself in, in some of the individuals that I'm helping. It helps you to understand not only your position in poverty, but it helps you to understand how you can not only problem-solve some of the things you're going through, but it helps you to understand what you can do about that,' Briana Mack, a Facilitator for the Getting Ahead program said. 'Pay what you can' photography studio open in Clearfield Participants develop their future goals and learn how to use their voices in the community to advocate for themselves. Bridges to Success said the program extends beyond graduation by providing long-term stability, and resource-building strategies. 'Anyone who's struggling to get by if, if they are tired of struggling if they want to find their own way out, this is the opportunity for they actually sit down and think about what their future, what they would like their future to look like,' Varchol said. This Spring cohort has three more months until graduation. One of the students already has plans after graduation. 'I just graduated from JARI, you know, and I just want to keep myself active and doing stuff to motivate myself in my life at the age of 65. You know, I just graduated from JARI, and I'll be going to Penn Highlands Community College in May. So I just want to do something for me till I can be proud of myself,' Bernice Sanders, a participant in the program said. There have been 26 cohorts 'Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin'-By World' program. The next cohort of the Getting Ahead program will start at the end of August. Applications are accepted year-round. Anyone trying to overcome poverty's impact on their life is eligible to apply. To apply, you can walk into the church and ask for an application or call Bridges Cooperative Ministry at (814) 539-2633. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bridges Cooperative Ministry announce Getting Ahead program graduates
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Bridges Cooperative Ministry, a ministry group of Franklin Street Church in downtown Johnstown, has announced the graduation of 12 participants from its Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin'-By World program. The initiative empowers individuals facing economic instability to identify and overcome barriers to success, build lasting economic stability and create a brighter future for themselves and their families. Over the 16-week course, participants met weekly to gain knowledge, create their own argument for change and gain insights into breaking the cycle of poverty. The program's goal is to equip individuals with tools to explore the causes of poverty and develop resource-building strategies that foster long-term economic stability and community-wide transformation. For more information on the Getting Ahead program, call 814-539-2633 or email office@
