Program Empowers Low-income Oxford Residents to Achieve Self-Sufficiency

By Kim Weigel, Community Relations Coordinator at SELF
 
More and more residents are facing financial issues due to rising energy prices and the sagging housing market. The 2000 U.S. Census reported that 44% of individuals and 19% of families residing in Oxford fall below the federal poverty level. Although the current state of the economy is harshest on those with the least income, there is a program to help Oxford residents- Empower One.      
 
As a partner agency of the United Way of Oxford, Ohio, and Vicinity, Supports to Encourage Low-income Families (SELF) collaborated with the Oxford Family Resource Center to establish Empower One, a holistic case management program, in 2002. Empower One is tailored to assist “working poor” families in low-wage jobs who struggle to meet their daily living expenses. 
 
Participants examine all aspects of their lives with a case manager and develop goals to strengthen and stabilize the whole family, rather than simply receiving help for one problem in isolation of other factors. The services provided by Empower One include educational and employment guidance, resume development, access to interview quality clothing, and limited emergency services such as utility assistance and temporary job transportation. These tools provide clients with the opportunities for self-sufficiency, the ability to withstand future stress, and the knowledge and skills to improve their economic stability and overall well-being. 
 
James Lee sought help from Empower One shortly after he moved to Oxford from Texas. Lee was unable to keep a job because his driver’s license was revoked and he had sold his car to pay the rent. In May of 2007 he began working with a case manager to define three goals: accessing temporary transportation to job interviews, securing full-time employment and obtaining housing close to his job. 
 
After just a few meetings, his case manager raved about his determination to regain his self-sufficiency. Lee walked miles in the summer heat to job interviews and he never missed an appointment at SELF. One of these interviews led to a full-time job in Fairfield. Empower One provided Lee with four weeks of transportation assistance. Within this timeframe, he saved enough money to obtain housing near the job. 
 
By the end of July of 2007, Lee completed all three goals and “graduated” from the Empower One program. He says his job is going very well and thanks to SELF and the Family Resource Center, he finally feels that he is stable enough to live on his own.

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