I will start this blog by introducing myself, Amy Rossman.  I began working for the Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities (PCRC) 4 years ago in February 2009 and began as a PT caseworker.  Two years into my employment, as the Cluster was about to move locations from Walnut Street to Franklin Street in 2011, I seized the opportunity to become the FT Programs Manager.  
After a year of being in our new location, a strategic planning programs committee commenced to explore possibilities "to help individuals make real progress in moving from dependence to productive self-sufficiency," as our mission describes.  Born from these brainstorming sessions was the "Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin'-By World" initiative, written by Philip E. DeVol.  We thank Tammy Schoonover, Director of Training, Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC), for her time as we met with her on a few occasions to discuss their success with the "Getting Ahead..." initiative in the BCOC's Economic Self-Sufficiency Program. 
In January 2013, PCRC offered a two-day training, "Bridges out of Poverty," written by Philip E. DeVol, Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D., and Terie Dreussi Smith, to professionals and volunteers in our community working with individuals living in poverty to understand the people whom we serve. 
From this training, we received referrals from community agencies working with individuals, receiving public assistance, who shared an interest in attending the 16-week pilot series of "Getting Ahead..." workshops that began in February.  Both myself and Ryan Keiser, caseworker, have been trained as facilitators for the workshops.