PPLs 's Workshops Benefit Families and the Broader Community
In 2008, PPL’s Connections to Work program was awarded a specialized contract from Hennepin County to provide Family Stabilization Services. This new initiative has meant changing the face of MFIP services for 160 families. Each of these families has at least one member who has been diagnosed with a disability. To respond to the families’ specific needs, PPL staff have created a core group of services such as strengths-based case management and individualized goal plan development, to address their unique barriers to self-sufficiency.
Now reaching its second anniversary, staff have found that a key element to the initiative has been its broad array of workshops, which help participants develop and increase their employability, social skills, or capacity for self-sufficiency. Recent topics have included: “Getting the Most: How to Budget,” “Stress Management,” and “Cleaning with Care,” which included green cleaning supplies. Staff have noticed that as participants attend workshops, they also begin to develop a support network with each other. These new friendships inspired several gatherings to help others in the community. A small idea to broaden workshop offerings has now blossomed to be something that participants look forward to and even rely on—moving beyond their health barriers to get connected and engaged with others.
Families give back through Feed My Starving Children