Getting Ahead is Getting Real

So we are supposed to recruit 6-12 individuals to participate in Getting Ahead.  Recruiting participants (who are known as Investigators) was the part of the planning I was worried about the least.  I thought it would be an easy sell.  I spent most of my planning time focused on lining up childcare and dinners, buying workbooks, reserving rooms, and recruiting co-facilitators.

Before the first week I recruited 9 people to attend the class and act as Investigators.  The first night arrived and I was a ball of nerves.  What if no one shows? What if too many people show?  What if the group dynamics aren't what we hoped for?...you get the picture.

Four of the nine showed up on the first night and even though we did not have the recommended 6 we decided to go ahead and have the class.  It seemed like a good group.  The next week only three of the four showed.  That kind of thing was bound to happen.  People living in the chaos of poverty often can't make appointments for one reason or another.  The problem was that if we only have four people and one person doesn't attend you are left with what feels like a very small group.

We decided to take a two week break and recruit more and then start over.  One step forward, two steps back.  On our second first night we had the original four plus two more.  On the second, second night we had ten Investigators and nine kids!

Now the class is off and running and I an floored every night with all that I did not know.  I have spent my entire career working with individuals living in poverty and I still did not the extent to which their lives are effected by that environment.

For instance did you know that the average wait time for section 8 (in our class) was seven years...SEVEN!  And, once our Investigators received section 8 it only helped with a very small fraction of their housing bills.

Did you know that if you are applying for section 8 their are strict guidelines on bedrooms for your children. ie: if you have a boy and a girl they need to have separate bedrooms but, if you are a foster parent you only need separate beds, not separate bedrooms so a foster parent can theoretically have a one bedroom apartment with three beds in one room and a single mother living in poverty with an infant son needs to have a two bedroom apartment in order to receive section 8.  This circumstance caused one of our Investigators to be forced to live in a shelter because she could not afford that apartment she would need in order to apply for housing assistance.

This is important information and I feel honored to hear these stories from our Investigators.  I look forward to being a part of the conversation when we get to the weeks where Investigators are creating their Future Stories!