For 25 years, Colorado Mountain College’s Wo/Men in Transition and Gateway programs have been improving the odds of occupational and educational success for economically challenged Roaring Fork families. To celebrate the upcoming milestone birthday for both programs, a fundraiser celebration will be held Friday, May 16.
Launched in 1989, Wo/Men in Transition began as an outreach to single mothers striving to create better lives for themselves and their children. In response to a 1990 federal reform law, services were soon expanded to include Gateway Link classes to help connect struggling families to educational and career training opportunities.
Today, CMC’s Wo/Men in Transition and Gateway programs continue to offer support to families eligible for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and to all qualifying single parents pursuing an education or job training to help them transition out of poverty. In 2013, the programs supported more than 130 students with tuition and book assistance, career guidance, and work and life skills classes.
The fundraising party will be held in the community room of the Glenwood Springs Branch Library from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 16.
Community members are invited to “be the link,” by celebrating and supporting the efforts of both programs to connect individuals and families with the resources they need to break the welfare cycle. Current and alumni students served by the programs are especially welcome to attend and share their stories.
For more information, contact Jill Ziemann at jziemann@coloradomtn.edu.