As a key business member in our community, I am writing to personally invite you to a unique training opportunity hosted by Bohemian Foundation on Thursday, July 21^st (invitation and registration information below).
 
The one-day training is based on the Bridges out of Poverty national best-practice model, designed to give business and human resource professionals the tools and language to support their company’s success in employing individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. 
 
Bridges is built on the simple but crucial notion that for our community members in poverty, both responsibility and opportunity are necessary. Communities are more sustainable and vibrant when businesses, organizations and institutions within the community work together to provide social and economic resources so that responsibility and work are rewarded, and low-income residents can imagine positive future paths to build the skills and resources they need for success.
 
Businesses that have utilized Bridges concepts in other communities have seen improved retention and productivity among low-income workers. In addition, communities that develop strong Bridges programs continuously move individuals from a reliance on public programs to more stable employment and increased earned income, expanding the tax base and overall economic vitality.
 
The training on July 21^st, will be led by co-author of Bridges out of Poverty:  Strategies for Professionals and Communities, Terie Dreussi Smith.  Terie will provide attendees with an introduction to the Bridges model for addressing poverty and creating sustainable communities, and will cover numerous skills and strategies for developing stronger, more effective relationships between your organization and individuals in poverty. 
 
Additionally, guest speaker Lisa Falcone, Working Bridges Project Director for the United Way of Chittenden in Vermont, and Regina Fetterolf of WorkLife Partnership in Jefferson County, Colorado, will present two models of how businesses have utilized Bridges constructs to develop innovative practices to improve employee productivity, retention advancement, and financial stability.
 
Thank you in advance for your willingness to learn more about the Bridges out of Poverty model that is having sustainable, long-term impacts on poverty and the economic development of communities.