Copper Country Bridges Helps Poor Familes Find Financial Stability

A free public forum about the work of Bridges Copper Country will be held on Sunday, September 10 at 10:30 a.m. on Zoom. It is sponsored by the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Bridges Copper Country is a community initiative designed to address the challenges faced by individuals and families living in poverty and to help them build a path towards self-sufficiency and stability. Copper Shores Community Health Foundation has hired Michael Steber to coordinate outreach to and educational programs for the under-resourced community members in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon Counties. The former principal at Washington Middle School, part of Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw School District, Steber will present the forum. Currently, 16-19 percent of Copper Country residents are living in poverty and 49 percent are living at the ALICE level (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). They may be just one financial crisis away from being in poverty. Bridges Copper Country is an economic development tool for individuals, institutions and communities. There are two key components of Bridges Copper Country: • To train and educate the community, businesses, schools, and social service agencies and encourage collaboration. • To educate individuals living in poverty on how they can help themselves. We will learn about the successes and challenges of this new program, and the series of Getting Ahead classes offered.