Bridges out of Poverty unveils the hidden rules of poverty, middle class, and wealth with a focus on understanding poverty to eliminate frustration of a culture many living in the dominant culture of middle class have not ever experienced firsthand.  Middle class systems, including organizations, comprised of middle class norms imply overall, people have inherent knowledge of such and become frustrated when one does not follow as expected.  The same is true of the hidden rules in wealth.  I was fascinated by reading this month's, July 2013, ELLE magazine where on page 136, in the Reader Advice column, "Ask E. Jean," I read the following:

Dear E. Jean:  I'm from the wrong side of the tracks (emphasis on wrong), and I'm engaged to a wonderful man.  His family is from the right side of the tracks - quite well-off.  This has never been an issue for us.  We truly appreciate and support each other.  But now he's scored an amazing, very high paying job in New York City.  We'll be moving right after the wedding and embarking on the adventure together.
                      I'm so excited!  But I'm in a bit over my head.  We're Midwesterners, and while I'm certainly not an idiot, we'll be entering a world of wealthy people - a world I'm not accustomed to.  In addition, he'll be working constantly, so I'll be navigating primarily on my own.  Any advice for a newly rich gal like me?  Are there unspoken rules for rich people in New York that I'm not aware of?
                     - Pass Go, continue to Park Avenue

PARK, MY YOUNG NABOB:  Oh, yes.  There are rules. And when Madonna and Hillary Clinton (from the great states of Michigan and Illinois) are in the Big Apple, they break every one of them.  Not to mention the laws of decorum trampled by half the society chicks with their own handbag lines.  So without further ado, here are your..

Seven Rules for the Nouveau Riche (and the Rest of Us, Too)

1.  If you're well dressed and don't frighten the cabbies, you can get away with anything in New York.

2.  Always volunteer for more charities than you can handle.

3.  If you regret anything about a posh dinner party the night before, it will usually be something you did on your "best behavior."

4.  People like to be flattered.  Never forget this.

5.  A woman "navigating primarily on [her] own" is in the best company.

6.  Stand up for the homeless and the crazy.

7. Imagine what you can achieve if you don't wait time trying to "fit in" and follow "rules."

    P.S. Hold the phone!  Just spoke with my friend Lisa Birnbach, the illustrious author of The Official Preppy Handbook and True Prep, and she says rule number one should be: "Never refer to yourself as rich."  

    P.P.S  My neighbor, the elegant Eileen Bertelli, partner at Parson Weems' Publisher Services, suggests you do what she did upon arriving in Manhattan: Spend a day with a personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman. A most excellent rule!  It's always witty to have good taste in bad taste, but never clever to have bad taste in good taste.  Good luck! 

Here we go... The Pottstown Cluster is now accepting applications for the "Getting Ahead" Initiative to begin in August. "Getting Ahead..." is a 16-workshop curriculum for individuals receiving public assistance to investigate poverty and its effects on families and the community. A meal, childcare, and small scholarship are included. Interested? Please stop by the Outreach Center between 9-12 to see Ryan Keiser, Caseworker, or Amy Rossman, Programs Manager, for an application.

For more information about the workshops, please click on the link below to read the article written by the Pottstown Post showcasing the first graduates from the "Getting Ahead" Initiative.

This clip illustrates the reality, the difficulty a person has as their wage increases and public assistance decreases. A person finds themselves forced over a financial cliff as the familiar safety net of public assistance dissolves with achievement. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNAtfgW79BM

Press release link for the Getting Ahead graduation.. 

http://www.pottstownpost.com/2013/06/17/pottstown-cluster-graduates-first-getting-ahead-class/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+pottstownpost+%28The+Pottstown+Post%29