Inspiring Progress Through Education

by Cody Dees

The phrase, “put yourself in their shoes”, has long been shared with one key objective: to illicit empathy. At some point in your lifetime, you have either been told to do this or have even said it yourself.

Empathy is powerful

The successes of noteworthy movers and shakers in global society can easily be traced back to this human emotion. Could empathy be where the power to make a difference is born? Nearly twenty years ago, a coalition of empathetic leaders was formed in Minneapolis to help disarm the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children. How did they plan to do this?

Through the power of education

The Jeremiah Program strives to transform families from a system of poverty to one of prosperity, two generations at a time, through education. Jeremiah prepares determined single mothers to excel in the
workforce and readies their children to succeed in school, which ultimately
reduces generational dependence on public assistance.

Take a look:

A success story unlike the rest

Jeremiah’s strategy is working, but still needs the empathetic support today that built its foundation back in 1993. We partner with organizations like Jeremiah Program for a number of reasons, but above all
else it’s their desire to inspire progress. How could you not get on board with that?

Offering a helping hand

To assist the Jeremiah Program’s efforts to inspire progress, COUNTRY Financial donated $50,000 to update five of their computer labs (three in Minneapolis and two in St. Paul). These computer labs are available to studying mothers along with their children. Take a look at the difference below: 

Not pictured in the “after” photo is a pretty sweet building block table and wall mounted tablet we added for the kiddos to play with while mom gets her work done. We believe everyone should have access to a welcoming and inviting space. The fact that these refreshed computer labs provide that and help these mothers achieve their goals is the icing on the cake.

To learn more about Jeremiah Program, head on over to their website at www.jeremiahprogram.org.