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Project Promise gains momentum
Area residents sign up for education and awareness programs

Appleton — Two weeks after nearly 300 local leaders attended Project Promise’s kick-off breakfast at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, organizers are impressed with the response and interest that the poverty awareness and education initiative is generating.
The ThedaCare-led Community Health Action Team (C.H.A.T.), the Appleton Library Foundation and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are the lead sponsors of Project Promise, which seeks to engage area residents in education, awareness and action around poverty. The campaign also serves as a caring voice to the community at large to ensure the quality of life so many of us enjoy not only continues, but also becomes attainable to all who make their home in the area.
“The breakfast was just the beginning.  We’re seeing a ripple effect. People who were there are telling family members, friends and co-workers about Project Promise and it’s getting more people involved,” said Paula Morgen of CHAT and ThedaCare. “It’s exciting to see people embracing Project Promise as we work to raise awareness and inspire action around the poverty in our community.”
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During the four-month campaign, five main activities are offered to get residents involved, including: Fox Cities Reads, which encourages residents to read Barbara Ehrenreich’s book “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” and participate in book talks and discussions; poverty simulations offered through CAP Services which allow participants to experience firsthand what living in poverty is like; Thrivent Financial Fitness Clubs, which help people spend less money and build up their savings; Diversity Circles, which are sponsored by the Rotary Multicultural Center and create a place where residents can share ideas and develop plans on how to address poverty in the Fox Cities; and Financial Information & Service Center (FISC), which is holding workshops and seminars to teach people about getting out of debt.
At the Jan. 18 kick-off breakfast, attendees were asked to express interest in the different components of the program. Here’s a quick look at the results:

• Fox Cities Reads: Seventy-four people expressed interest in buying and reading “Nickel and Dimed,” which depicts the struggles and strife of America’s lowest paid lowers.
• Diversity Circles: Thirty-four people signed up to participate in a five-week discussion on fighting poverty in the community.
• Thrivent Financial Fitness Club: Eighteen people signed up to attend a free introductory program while 21 people showed interest in having a presentation on the program at their offices, organizations or churches
• Poverty Simulations: Twenty people signed up to participate in a March 15 poverty simulation at the Appleton Public Library while another 13 people indicated interest in organizing a poverty simulation for their offices, organizations or churches.
• FISC: Twenty-one people signed up to have a lunch and learn on financial literacy at their place of work.

Community members also stepped forward to participate in some other Project Promise initiatives including 14 people interested in serving on the PayDay Lending
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Steering Group, 10 people interested in being a part of the Family Mentoring Steering Group and 41 people interested in attending the Project Promise Action Forum on April 30.
In addition to the above activities, Ehrenreich is coming to Appleton on April 17 to speak about poverty and hear about what’s happening in the Fox Cities.
Jenni Eickelberg, a senior community relations specialist for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ corporate relations department, signed up for several Project Promise programs, including the community book read and the Financial Fitness Clubs.
“I’m getting involved in multiple Project Promise activities to learn more about poverty in the Fox Cities. I hope to obtain enough information on the topic that I can transform my knowledge into action,” she said.
Project Promise originated with a “plunge” on poverty led by C.H.A.T. A plunge is similar to an adult field trip and is designed to study a particular health concern in the community. Each year, CHAT and ThedaCare coordinate one to two plunge experiences for community leaders. The idea for Project Promise came into focus after the Appleton Public Library chose the book “Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” as its community book read for 2007. Plunge participants saw the book read as the hub around which various community activities could take place to educate the community and foster action.