The Good Life – May-June 2018

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“When you can see an individual go from nearly being homeless to now working in a career and coming home to an apartment with his family, you can see the good that can come of the work that United Way does.” — Amy Feland was seeking help to keep him from becoming homeless but instead noticed a poster for welding program. “When I first met Eric, he was working, but at risk of becoming homeless. He was sleeping on the floor in a small, nearly empty apartment. With a felony in his background, there was always a barrier between the jobs he wanted and the ability to even get an interview. He knew he had to get better skills,” said Amy. With Amy’s support, for six weeks, Eric would spend eight hours a day in a welding class provided by M State, work a part-time job at a local restaurant and do his homework, oftentimes until 3 a.m., before showing up the next day for class. The hard work paid off, but wouldn’t have been possible without support from Amy. “For Eric and my clients, I just believe in them until they believe in themselves,” said Amy. “She kept encouraging me and helped me problem-solve the issues in my life. I didn’t believe there were good people in the world. But I guess I was proved wrong,” said Eric, who is now proudly employed. In April, Eric met his 19-month-old daughter, Aria, for the first time and with Amy’s help found an apartment that would be a better environment for him and his fiancé, Leslie, to raise their little girl. REMOVING BARRIERS FOR FAMILIES IN NEED Mental Health. Transportation Child care. Housing. While training programs do exist in our community, a person living in poverty may not be able to access them because of barriers that stand in the way for themselves and their family. “United Way is working differently. The goal of this twogeneration model is to break the cycle of poverty by moving the family toward economic security and addressing the 28 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
workforce shortage in our community,” said Thomas Hill, the United Way Community Impact Director. Today, thanks to United Way, the Workforce Development Case Manager will continue to provide support to clients in these M State training programs: • Welding • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) • Certified Production Technician (CPT) Amy has shared with us that graduation day is a transformative moment in participants’ lives – it makes the promise of economic mobility a reality. “When you can see an individual go from nearly being homeless to now working in a career and coming home every day to an apartment with his family under one roof, you can see the good that can come of the work that United Way does,” said Amy. READY FOR THE WORKPLACE Another positive outcome from this strategy is the social capital built among the people going through the training programs. “It is amazing to see the bonds that are formed – they encourage and root for each other, and we have seen that carry over into the workplace when they get a job,” said Amy. Not only are people getting jobs, they’re entering the workplace knowing the value of supporting their fellow employees. It’s not just about giving low-income people the chance for a career and helping employers fill openings. When one participant was asked about the opportunity to graduate from the CNA course, she said, “Thank you for this chance to make my dreams come true!”• *Regional Workforce Development Study commissioned by United Way, The Chamber, Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation, FM Area Foundation, Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2015. urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 29
Page 2 and 3: FATHERS // MR. FULL-TIME DAD Milest
Page 4 and 5: CELEBRATING 5 YEARS OF THE GOOD LIF
Page 6 and 7: spring LAWN CARE TIPS Get Your Lawn
Page 8 and 9: DAVID ALLEN LOVERS ARE LIARS, GAMBL
Page 10 and 11: Are Liars, Gamblers, and Thieves”
Page 12 and 13: Ask 30 WOMEN WHAT DOES HE WEAR THAT
Page 14 and 15: HAVING A BEER WITH // KYLE IVERSON
Page 16 and 17: HAVING A BEER WITH // KYLE IVERSON
Page 18 and 19: WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR • PHOTOS
Page 20 and 21: ON THE COVER // DONALD CAREY Indian
Page 22 and 23: ON THE COVER // DONALD CAREY Cockro
Page 24 and 25: Gin. Only Better. Minions Gin by Pr
Page 26 and 27: WRITTEN BY: KRISTI HUBER • PHOTOS
Page 30 and 31: LOCAL HERO // JASON HICKS 30 / THE
Page 32 and 33: LOCAL HERO // JASON HICKS PHOTOS SU
Page 34 and 35: LOCAL HERO // JASON HICKS Moorhead

The Good Life – May-June 2018

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