Bridge to Hope
Meetings recruit community into poverty fight
Cooperative Christian Ministries and Clinic is hosting a series of monthly meetings designed to inform the public about its Bridge to Hope initiative and, in the process, recruit more of the community into the fight against poverty.
Arkansas is the fourth-poorest state in the nation, with a staggering amount of households living in poverty and even more households with children living in poverty, according to statistics provided by CCMC.
The statistics show, that as a whole, Garland County’s poverty rate is higher than the state’s average.
The monthly meetings provide a broad overview of CCMC’s Bridge to Hope initiative, which is designed to prevent and alleviate the suffering associated with poverty.
“We define poverty to the extent someone goes without resources,” said Lynn Blankenship, executive director of CCMC.
CCMC was established 20 years ago by Dr. John Wayne Smith with the intent of aiding under-resourced members of the community. The mission has evolved over the years into the Bridge to Hope initiative.
The hope is that, by hosting the meetings in a neutral location, CCMC can encourage effective communication, with a solution in mind, between economic groups, according to CCMC.
The meetings are held at The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce offices on the third Wednesday of each month from 8 to 9:30 a.m. CCMC encourages members of the community to attend, but asks that they RSVP ahead of time to reserve a space due to limited seating.
Bridge to Hope is designed to help individuals, organizations and communities do four things: prevent poverty, alleviate the suffering of those in persistent poverty; help families and individuals transition out of poverty; and eliminate poverty altogether.
“We structure the meetings in a way that resembles a conversation; it’s all very casual. We talk about the basic constructs that create a solution to the problem at hand,” said Blankenship.
Attendees receive information about the poverty statistics for Arkansas and Garland County as a whole, then engaged in a conversation about how to lessen the effects of poverty with an overall solution in mind.
“In order to have an effective solution, we all need to be a part of it,” said Blankenship.
CCMC also offers the Getting Ahead course, which is designed to help families and individuals living in poverty transition out of it. It is a 16week “self-discovery class,” said Blankenship.
Although the class requires preregistration by referral, informational meetings are held each month.
“(The meetings) are a small preview of what classes are like. It’s a chance to hear a description of the class, and hear questions others are asking,” she said.
Email Ann Wilson at awilson@ccmchs.com or call 3181153, ext. 303, for more information regarding the monthly Bridge to Hope meetings. For more information about the Getting Ahead classes, email Blankenship at lynn@ccmchs.com.