Economic Crisis in Laramie County - What You Can Do to Help

According to information from the Laramie County Community Partnership (2008 Gaps Analysis):

• In 2005, 23% of our students did not graduate from high school
• In 2006, 21.1% of female-headed households lived below the poverty line.
• There are more households earning less than $25,000 (inflation adjusted) annually now than in the last twenty-six years.

Each of us has the opportunity to get involved and change these statistics for the better. Here in Laramie County the Connections Corner initiative of the Laramie County Community Partnership is launching a new initiative called Circles(TM). Circles(TM) is an intentional way for people to build relationships across class and race lines to end poverty in their communities. Circles(TM) is a high impact strategy that will:

• Change the mind-set of the community so it wants to end poverty
• Change goals, policies, and approaches to end poverty and,
• Empower people in poverty to help solve community problems while transitioning out of poverty themselves.

A Circle is a supportive, intentional, reciprocal, befriending relationship made up of one Circle Leader who is living in poverty and two to five Circles Allies who usually are from middle class. A Circle typically meets once or twice a month to build friendships and to work on the Circle Leader's dreams, plans, and goals.

To learn more about this exciting initiative please plan on attending the Community Engagement Session for Ending Poverty in Laramie County on September 29th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Laramie County Community College in the CCI center in room 129.

Another opportunity to get involved is to attend the Breakfast with Business Leaders at the Hitching Post Inn in room CCR West on September 30th at 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

For either of these events please RSVP to Stephanie Pyle, the Connections Corner Director at sapyle@msn.com or call her at (307) 634-3333.