Partners in fighting poverty:

Married at 15 and a divorced mother of two by age 23, Donna Beegle says strong one-to-one mentoring by caring teachers and social workers was her incentive to get a GED at 26, an associate's degree at 28 and a bachelor's degree at 30.

Expert addresses national problem
By Gretchen Murray
CNHI News Service

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Where would you turn if you found yourself homeless? What if you tried hard, but couldn't find a job? Would you know where to turn for shelter, food or medical care? Could you maneuver your way through an impersonal maze of social service systems?

National poverty expert Dr. Donna Beegle on Monday offered representatives from area churches some frank answers as well as an inside look at issues facing those in poverty during a presentation at The Presbyterian Church in Traverse City.

Sponsored by the Poverty Reduction Initiative, Beegle was in town to address social service groups, school administrators, court and law enforcement officials and medical professionals. Her theme? Recognizing, dealing with and developing proactive solutions to poverty in the five-county northwestern Lower Michigan region.

From Tigard, Ore., Beegle offered a firsthand account of her youth spent in generational poverty and her struggle to rise from it. She credits a tip about an educational opportunity and strong mentoring for her success at beating the odds.

A member of a family of migrant workers, Beegle talked about the 28 years she spent homeless, and the isolation of poverty.

"No one in my family had a skill to make a living wage," she told the group.

Married at 15, and a divorced mother of two by age 23, Beegle said strong one-to-one mentoring by caring teachers and social workers was her incentive to get a GED at 26, an associate degree at 28 and a bachelor's degree at 30. After completing advanced degrees, she went on to become a sought-after speaker, author, discussion leader, trainer and founder of the consulting firm, Communication Across Barriers. The company provides insights and strategies for working with people from poverty backgrounds.

Her compelling story came at a time when The Presbyterian Church hopes to expand on its Family Partnership Program, a mission outreach aimed at reducing poverty in the Traverse City area - one family at a time.

Pastor Homer Nye and his wife Becky Mang became interested in developing a mentoring program for those who could use a helping hand two years ago while they listened to a seminar by Ruby Payne, a speaker with a message similar to Beegle's.

"Becky and I looked around and saw 18 to 20 people from our congregation there," Nye said. "We said we ought to be doing something."

They also realized that while the Poverty Reduction Initiative - a group of individuals and organizations founded in 2004 to address issues of local poverty - partnered with social service agencies, businesses, schools and local foundations, it lacked representation from the faith community.

"The faith-based segment was not represented, but we saw church people there, and we asked ourselves, how do we, as a church community, get involved with this particular initiative," Nye said.

Members of the congregation met monthly to toss around ideas for outreach. But they kept hearing from different sources that the relationship aspects of one-to-one mentoring to those in poverty were key elements in seeing lasting, positive effects.

"It was better than just putting a Band-Aid on poverty," he said.

Beegle says poverty is more evident in affluent communities that see a "servant" sector of poverty in town and that the situation often is common in resort communities.

"It's not until it becomes visible that people will say, 'Let's do something,'" she said.

The church's mentoring program builds supportive and empowering relationships that encourage families to make and take ownership of choices that can improve the quality of their lives.

"We realized that our real resource was people," Mang said. "It's the relationships we have with each other that really count." The Presbyterians theorized that the people who wanted to care for others would bring with them skills and connections within the community that could be called upon.

Their Family Partnership Program launched a successful pilot program last year with five matches from the Northwest Michigan Human Services Budget Program, Safe Harbor and the Women, Infants and Children's social service program.

To date the church has seven mentors, and church member Beverly Cuthbert has developed a training program. The program is directed by Pat Voice.

Beegle said she estimates that less than 10 full-family mentoring programs like the church's are operating in the country right now, and Nye feels that the time's right for the program to expand.

More mentors are needed and Nye appealed to the gathering for their help in the project.

"It was never our intent for this to be a Presbyterian project," Nye told the group. "We want this to be ecumenical, but we don't want money to stop the program."

Nye said the church has budgeted for the expansion.

"We're hoping we can involve other churches in providing mentors, and we're willing to provide the financial resources to make this happen," he said. "A mentor is quite simply, a good friend and coach. Anyone who has a big heart can do this."

To learn more about the Family Partnership Program, call The Presbyterian Church, 946-5680. To learn more about the Poverty Reduction Initiative, call 922-6995 or visit www.TraverseBayPRI.org. To learn more about Donna Beegle, visit www.combarriers.com.