OUR PROJECTS
Economic development and wealth-building programming for minorities and low-income communities are essential to lessen the effects of poverty on future generations. What programming and initiatives would you like to see?
S.T.E.P.P. (SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATIVE ECONOMIC PROGRESS PROGRAM)
S.T.E.P.P. is an economic empowerment program designed to assist low-income individuals gradually reduce poverty and increase economic mobility. It is an evolution of the Binghamton Community Advocates Project (BCAP) offered in 2018-2019 that engaged low-income community residents in creating and implementing individualized plans, as a ladder out of poverty.
Two new, critical elements are the Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation's (LISC) Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) model and TwinCities Rise!’s Personal Empowerment Program. LISC's FOC is a national, research-proven model that increases job placement and retention, individuals' net income and net worth, and credit score. The Personal Empowerment program is a curriculum that connects individuals to their self-worth, assists in building one's self-confidence, and provides resources for self-control, which can assist in behavioral outcomes. It allows for social lessons that build a stronger self-interest for one's future
S.T.E.P.P. will accomplish its goal by moving individuals through:
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The Empowerment Program by The Empowerment Institute.
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Economic empowerment through financial supplements, coaching and strategic training (LISC's FOC)
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Mentoring aimed at assisting members/ participants in leveraging their business ideas that lead to economic self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship and new/innovative job creation (LISC's FOC)
In addition, stipends and subsidies will be provided through this program to assist individuals in overcoming common barriers to training such as day care, transportation, time away from work, and remedial education.
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ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
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Completion of the S.T.E.P.P. enables each participant in identification, clarifying and setting future goals while providing a pathway to achieve them. The program will enable and empower each participant with the support needed to accomplish their breakthrough plan. These plans focus on skilled Job training, academic higher education planning and support, small business entrepreneurial education, mentoring and support. Equitable housing attainment, education and support. The key outcomes are that participants significantly moved the needle on poverty reduction by successfully completing S.T.E.P.P. The completion cycle for S.T.E.P.P. is a total of 4 phases within a 2-year timeframe.
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IN THE NEWS
https://www.uwbroome.org/blog/anti-poverty-work-and-the-binghamton-broome-anti-poverty-initiative/
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https://donnalupardo.com/enews-july-2018/
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