Empowerment. Stability. Community.
Welcome to Bridges Copper Country.
By focusing on individuals and systems, Bridges Copper Country is going to empower our community to drive for stability.
Bridges Copper Country is a Portage Health Foundation initiative utilizing frameworks created and updated regularly by aha! Process. The program is for residents of Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Our Community Needs This
Many hardworking people across the country struggle to make ends meet despite being employed. When people live paycheck-to-paycheck, they are one flat tire, one burnt out lightbulb or one broken bone from not paying rent, not putting food on the table or not making utility payments on time.
These people are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed, or ALICE. This means that ALICE populations live above the Federal Poverty Line, but do not make above the Household Survival Budget, which includes housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, basic technology (like a smartphone and phone plan), and miscellaneous payments like taxes.
The reality is that observing the Federal Poverty Line alone does not show the full picture of living in poverty in the United States, and certainly not on a community level. ALICE offers a broader view of those struggling with poverty, and without that full understanding, solutions for ALICE cannot be made.
Getting Ahead Training.
Starting in early 2023, Bridges Copper Country began hosting our Getting Ahead Training. This is completely free to participants, including meals, transportation and childcare. Want to learn more? Click the button below.
Join Us at a Workshop!
In the Bridges workshop we will explain how Bridges Copper Country empowers people to investigate the barriers that have been keeping them from “Getting Ahead.” We will educate the community about the complexities of poverty and demonstrate that working together we can make an economic impact on individuals, institutions and our community as a whole.
Learn more about Bridges Copper Country Workshops!
Receive Updates.
The story of Bridges Copper Country is just beginning. The journey will feature moments of brilliance, pain, joy and most importantly, growth. If you’re interested in following along, learning how you can participate or volunteer, or simply show your support to those yearning for stability, we invite you to subscribe to our email list. We’ll update you regularly with what we have going on.
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Bridges Copper Country
Bridges Copper Country is a Portage Health Foundation initiative.
Call/Text: 1 (906) 281-9204
© 2023 Portage Health Foundation
