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9.01.2024

Elevating Families: A Bold Initiative to Break the Cycle of Poverty

Two middle aged women sitting at a wood desk, while looking over a chart and talking

By Jessica Sheldon, Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada

Each month, Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada serves more 35,000 individuals, many of whom are trapped in the cycle of generational poverty, reaching out to our organization and other agencies across our community seeking services to meet their most basic needs.  

What if we could create an experience that would result in someone being the last person in their family to live in poverty?  

What if a child could be truly elevated out of poverty, thanks to the commitment of their moms/dads to learn new skills and strategies?

After several years of planning, Catholic Charities recently launched our Elevating Families program, an innovative method of economic mobility mentoring that will equip families with skills for problem-solving and success. 

The program is designed to help parents grow stronger and build a brighter tomorrow.

Participants will partner with dedicated mentors who will work closely with parents helping set goals and find ways to overcome the things that have been holding them back. 

“We are thrilled to bring Elevating Families to our community for those families who are trapped in a cycle of constant worry about bills and want better for their kids,” said Marie Baxter, CEO of Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada. “Through this program we can help elevate people so that they are the last in their family to live in poverty, not just the next generation. We are not filling a gap; we are breaking a cycle.” 

Qualified adult applicants must be residents of Washoe County, under the age of 55 with at least one child who is 13 years of age or younger. Applicants can be married or single. 

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the website to learn more and start a one-time application process. Recruitment for the program will be ongoing and is open to 300 English and Spanish speaking families. 

Parent participants start their journey interacting with the EMPath Bridge to Self-Sufficiency and work with their certified mentor to plan, reach, and sustain their personal goals in five essential areas: family stability, well-being, education and training, financial management, and employment and career management. 

To learn more about Elevating Families, please visit the website at https://elevatingnevadafamilies.org/ or call 775-453-3134.



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First 5 Nevada, a program of The Children's Cabinet, is partially supported with funding from the Administration for Children and Families Child Care and Development Fund through a subaward agreement with the Nevada Division of Social Services, Child Care and Development Program (Grant #G00996005). First 5 Nevada was initially developed with funding from the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Initiative (PDG B-5), Grant Number 90TP0099, awarded to the Nevada Department of Education, from the Office of Child Care, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the the Office of Child Care, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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