A personal account from a Bridges Getting Ahead graduate

Images courtesy of Copper Shores Community Health Foundation

Hello. My name is Danielle. I just completed a 16 week program structured around helping individuals gain resources and tools to get out of poverty. We met every Tuesday night. The first 30 minutes were dinner followed by discussions, speakers and learning how to build connections with our community. The structure and expectations gave me something positive to look forward to. My son gained friends and experiences and so did I. Every Tuesday we ate as a family, cried a little, and laughed a lot.

Week 1 we sat around the table and introduced ourselves. I went home that first day thinking that I definitely didn’t belong, but I’d give it one more week, just to see. I didn’t or wasn’t going through half the crap these people were. My life was sunshine and rainbows, I wasn’t worthy of being with these great people. They have fought hard to become the people they are today. They are working themselves out of their dark holes and are becoming truly great people. They have experiences and hardships that give them a leg to stand on. I have my unicorns and daisies and a blissful ignorance of life.

Holy Wah! My world has changed in those 16 weeks. I have gained so much perspective and respect for the hard work and dedication my peers have placed into building their lives. My back story isn’t anything crazy. I was born into a fantastic family. I grew up with that “perfect” nuclear family. Mom, Dad, Brother, Dog, House, Yard, Vacations. I was so blind to the struggles the world faced. Just prior to high school graduation life changed. Divorce, moving, general teenage angst. Fast forward to my late 20s. I was married, had 2 step-daughters, a great job as a nurse and was 32 weeks pregnant.

Que my bomb and an unhealthy relationship lead to everything changing. I spent some time living in my car. I moved into a one bedroom apartment and slept in a bed left behind by some stranger. I welcomed a baby into the world and literally started my life over again. I moved 90 miles north to this great area and built everything back up. I was trying to settle into a job, find childcare, and get safe housing, all at the height of covid. I spent 4 years living in a 1 bedroom apartment with my toddler. I changed careers and followed my childhood dream to be a teacher because the hours were better as a single parent, even though the pay is half. Things have been on an amazing upward trajectory. I bought my first home this April and got to celebrate with all of my Getting Ahead peers. I still work to live and worry about bills as I live paycheck to paycheck, but I get to worry a little less now. I have new tools for my box.

I learned that my struggles are no less important than the person next to me. We all have our crap, but with that we all have great gifts to share and help each other. These last 16 weeks have taught me that I don’t have to have the worst situation to live in poverty. I now acknowledge that even though I am a working and educated human, I haven’t failed. In some ways, the world failed me. I am a nurse and a teacher. I am a single mother reliant on childcare. I am a tax paying citizen and I still struggle. There’s something wrong with that. I live in poverty.

Poverty… it sucks. Nelson Mandela gave his famous speech nearly 20 years ago calling for our world leaders to make poverty history. He urges us, “Do not look the other way; do not hesitate. Recognize that the world is hungry for action, not words. Act with courage and vision.”

Let’s break it down. In 2005, 37 MILLION people lived at or below the poverty threshold. 7.7 million of this group were the working poor… people who did everything in their power to change their situation, still couldn’t. I am just one in those millions.

We can keep talking about doing something. Keep telling the poor to get a job. Keep judging the single mom. Keep criticizing those asking for help. We can keep watching that number go up.

That’s cool.

Or, we can stop talking and start doing something. Mandela said, “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the action of human beings.” What steps are we going to take to eradicate poverty?

Recognize it. Recognize us. We have 19.3% of our community living in poverty. Almost 50% of our community may live above the poverty line, but still does not make enough to survive! People work, pay taxes and contribute to the community, but cannot afford to live in it. That is OUR reality. Recognize that WE represent those numbers. We are the working, we are the unemployed, we are the homeless and the substandard housing tenants. Recognize us.

Support us. There are individuals in our community with power and clout. Stand beside us, support us. Encourage our community leaders to lend their attention to programs that benefit individuals, families and children. Expand our safety net programs that can help us get one foot out of the dark hole we live in. Work with us by creating good-paying jobs that can meet our family needs. See things from our perspective. We cannot address one concern without seeing the whole picture. Without reliable city transportation, jobs are difficult. But when we have transportation and a job lined up, our community doesn’t have affordable childcare, so how can we justify working if a third of our wages disappear simply so we can work? Explain that logic.

Be Great. Be the generation that helps eradicate poverty. Whether you are 18 or 68, there are people you care about who struggle. Do not sit by and let things happen because, “That’s just the way things are.” Stand up. Speak up. Do something. Be Great. “Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation.”

Copper Shores Community Health Foundation is helping empower men and women like myself to make connections with resources in our community and plan for goals to better our lives. The Copper Shores Bridges programs are an invaluable resource for our community. For those hoping to do more than just get by, apply. Take those first steps towards making your future successes something of today. I cannot wait for the next step of the program where we will gain tools to build financial independence and brain health.

Asking for help does not make you weak. Asking for help takes strength, confidence and resourcefulness. Take that step, ask for help.

The Copper Shores Getting Ahead program is just one part of their Bridges program. This program is available for Copper Country residents, and this summer is adding classes in Baraga County as well as what’s already being offered in Houghton County. They work to eliminate any barriers as well. They can provide transportation for those without. They also provide gas cards and grocery store certificates to eliminate the potential financial barrier to attend. The best part, this is a family program. Children are invited to attend and they get to build connections with other children and have fun with the child care staff. If you have concerns about being able to attend, apply and voice your concerns. They work to eliminate barriers and make this program accessible to all.

For more information and to apply, head to www.CopperShores.org/Getting-Ahead.