The following is from Natalie Longmeier, executive director of Marion Matters in Marion, Ohio.
Marion Matters, an agency for which I serve as director and that encompasses the Bridges Out of Poverty model, has helped hundreds of people through many difficult situations. Many people come to us in a state of crisis, and we help them navigate through that moment while building relationships so we can connect them with classes such as Getting Ahead and financial literacy.
Honestly, connecting people to classes and establishing connections is the easy part! What keeps me up at night is the balancing act families need to juggle for basic needs to even get them to a place of stability to focus on the next day. With the cost of inflation, skyrocketed rental rates, and lack of affordable childcare, it seems almost impossible to help people gain their bearings so they can even breathe.
After 15 years of implementing Getting Ahead classes in our rural community in Ohio, we see a greater number of employed participants enrolling in class. The ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed) population, which is also classified as the working poor, are now our participants, versus the individuals that were primarily receiving government assistance in years past. Our demographic has shifted tremendously!
At any given moment, our staff works with an employed individual who is living in their vehicle. The biggest issue we have with helping individuals gain their footing is the state of our local economic structure and, more specifically, food, housing, and affordable and safe childcare so that parents can get back to work.
Marion Matters is constantly working with local leaders and other community agencies to find solutions to some of the largest barriers people are facing. Our agency leadership sits on three local United Waycoalitions that are looking to address the barriers regarding transportation, childcare, and housing. On an individual level, we are navigating situations on a case-by-case basis. We are helping clients strategize, and we are also helping them juggle financial priorities, connecting them to resources that are available, and working with them on their problem-solving skills.
As an organization, we look for small grants to help fill needs like bus passes and gas cards, small fines, food, and other essentials. We wrote a grant last year to hire a staff person that specifically helps navigate community resources and stabilize their crisis before we even enroll them in upcoming Getting Ahead classes. This has proven to be helpful, and we will continue on this trend until we see a shift!
Natalie Longmeier is passionate about helping others in need by educating people, connecting them with tools they need to succeed, and encouraging them with positive words can provide motivation. She is the executive director of Marion Matters in Marion, Ohio, where businesses contract with the organization to meet people where they are and to be a conduit to resources to help them stabilize.
The aha! Process Getting Ahead program engages investigators (participants) in exploring the realities of poverty in their communities and how those realities impact them. They also explore the causes of poverty, the “hidden rules” of economic class, and ways to develop resources and build stable lives. Getting Ahead graduates build relationships across class lines and often join the decision-making tables in their communities.
