Ending Poverty
Through Systemic Change
A Waukesha St Vincent de Paul
Mentoring Program

• One Person
• One Neighborhood
• One Community at a time
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 2

‘Coming Together to Get Ahead,’ a St Vincent de Paul of Waukesha County (SVDP) mentoring program, will transform lives in Waukesha
County by ending poverty – one person, one neighborhood, one community at a time.
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 3

The ‘Coming Together to Get Ahead’ mentoring program will incorporate facilitated workshops developed by aha! Process Inc .
These workshops currently take place across the US and Canada run by over 300 organizations including civic, not-for-profit, congregations, and other St Vincent de Paul councils.
4 Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change

Workshops are being conducted in over 300 locations in the USA and
Canada!
Now 650 locations!
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 5

Systemic change requires changing of attitudes and
approaches. ‘Coming Together to Get Ahead,’ is a community-wide effort in collaboration with other organizations, congregations, and people of good will. People will come together to make a difference in the lives of others.
We welcome your consideration and participation!
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 6

Discuss & Accept
Participants meet with two Mentors who discuss features and benefits of the program. Participants can then decide to accept the program or not.
Workshop
Participants, in groups of 12, become ‘investigators’ in an aha! Process Getting Ahead facilitated workshop lasting
16 weeks.
Implement Life Changes
Workshop graduates implement life changes with the help and encouragement of their mentors.
At all points along the way, it is the participant that accepts and agrees to take part in the program.
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 7

The Getting Ahead workshop helps individuals develop 11 essential resources for a more prosperous life for themselves, their families, and communities.
The fundamental idea is that people are the experts of their own situations. They can be empowered to take control of their lives and make good decisions.
The Getting Ahead curriculum spans 16 weeks covering 10 learning modules and:

Involves rigorous work done in a safe learning environment with the support of an experienced facilitator and co-facilitator.

Enables participants, called “investigators,” to examine their own experience of poverty as well as explore issues in the community that impact poverty − banking, housing, jobs, transportation − providing critical information the community can use to take action to end poverty.

Guides investigators through an assessment of their own resources and how to build those resources as part of their move to self-sufficiency.

Puts the concepts, tools, and relationships in the hands of people in poverty to make a difference in their own lives and in the life of their community.
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 8

WHAT ARE THE
ESSENTIAL RESOURCES?

FINANCIAL

EMOTIONAL

MENTAL

LANGUAGE

SOCIAL CAPITAL

SPIRITUAL

PHYSICAL
© aha! Process, Inc.
9

INTEGRITY & TRUST

MOTIVATION &
PERSISTENCE

RELATIONSHIPS /
ROLE MODELS

KNOWLEDGE OF
HIDDEN RULES

“Getting Ahead” Program
ACTION
10 modules, 16 sessions
Plans (10)
Action steps
Future stories
RESPONSIBILITY
POWER
Critical analysis
What it means to me
Theory of change (2)
How to build resources (9)
ECONOMIC CLASS
UNDERSTANDING
POVERTY
What it’s like now (1 )
Using the hidden rules of class to build resources
(4)
Causes of poverty (3)
Language (5)
UNDERSTANDING
WHERE I AM
Resources (6)
Self-assessment (7)
Community assessment (8)
CO-INVESTIGATION (1)
© aha! Process, Inc.
(Module)

Volunteers!
Mentors
Coach the Candidate through the entire process. Mentors are there to relate, affirm, and facilitate connections. They should never do what the person is capable of doing for themselves.
Facilitators & Co-Facilitators
Guide the Getting Ahead process by working with a group (8 to 12) of
Investigators. They are a class-time resource for Investigators.
Program Support
Individuals and/or groups to provide meals, childcare, set-up/clean-up for the workshop sessions.
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 11

Mentors
Mentors will work with participants in pairs. Initially, mentors will meet to discuss the program and answer questions. During the workshop sessions, mentors stay ‘on the sidelines’ keeping touch to affirm and maintain relationship. After the workshop, mentors will help by coaching participants to carry through on plans developed in the workshop.
Training – Mentors will be provided with training and support:

Education session – a 6 hour Saturday session to learn more about poverty and the process used by
Coming Together to Get Ahead to help people change their lives.

Mentor training – a 6 hour Saturday session to learn more about how to be a mentor and program details and specifics.

Mentor support group – periodic meetings for mentors to gather and provide support for each other in a structured group setting.
Time Commitment –

Time commitment beyond the Education, Training, and Mentor Support Group activities would be flexible and variable. Expect periodic meetings with participant to last no more than 90 minutes occurring no less frequently than once every couple of weeks.
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 12

Facilitators & Co-Facilitators
Facilitators will work in pairs to guide the Getting Ahead workshops. Each workshop will contain about 12 participants. The facilitator’s role is to ensure the process laid-out by aha Process! is followed.
Training – Facilitators will be provided with training and support:

Education session – a 6-hour Saturday session to learn more about poverty and the process used by
Coming Together to Get Ahead to help people change their lives.

Facilitator training – two 3-hour webinar sessions to learn details on the workshop content and how to facilitate the workshop sessions.

Facilitator support group – bi-monthly meetings for facilitators to gather and provide support for each other in a structured group setting.
Time Commitment

Time commitment beyond the Education, Training, and Facilitator Support Group activities would require being present at all workshop sessions to ensure the learning process is followed. Each workshop session would require 3 to 4 hours one night a week for 16 weeks.
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 13

Program Support
Program support personnel would be provide meals and childcare for participants and their children. Support personnel would be organized into teams by organization and by function. Ideally, congregations would solicit and manage their own teams.
Training – Support personnel will be provided with training and support:

Education session – a 6-hour Saturday session to learn more about poverty and the process used by
Coming Together to Get Ahead to help people change their lives. It is important that the community understand what participants face in their current lives and the changes they will be considering.

Support training – the lead person(s) from each organization will attend a function-specific training session.
Time Commitment

Time commitment beyond the Education and Training would depend on the role each organization wishes to play. For example, a congregation may choose to participate in support of one or multiple
Getting Ahead sessions. The meal associated with one workshop session would take roughly one hour.
Childcare would require roughly 3 to 4 hours for each workshop session.
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 14

Community Organizations

Understand poverty through the aha! Process lens – poverty is a lack of resources.

Attend an Education Session to learn how CTGA can guide people in implementing life changes.

Assess how individual organizations can best support people coming from this program to them for building resources.
Parishes and Congregations
Encourage their members to attend an Education Session and be involved with CTGA.
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 15

• Education Sessions (500)
• Mentor Training (100)
• Facilitator Training (8)
• Community Events (4)
• Start three Getting Ahead sessions
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 16

WHAT ARE WE ASKING FROM COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS??
Learn More:

July 26 – Attend an Education Session

Visit the Society’s web page on Systemic Change: http://www.svdpusa.org/systemicchange/Home.aspx
Take Action:

Contact Pam Matthews, CTGA Program Director to begin a dialogue or sign-up for an Education Session
(262.547.0654 or pm@stvincentwaukcnty.org
)
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 17

1.
How might you and your organization interact with CTGA?
2.
What would you need from SVDP to help you achieve this?
Transforming Lives...Ending poverty through systemic change 18