CMCA offers a number of classes that prepare people with low incomes to take action on issues affecting themselves, their families, and their communities.  Through poverty education, CMCA also prepares people from other economic backgrounds to act as advocates and allies.  Data indicates the number of CMCA members or allies who have risen to positions of leadership or advocacy.

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Advocacy and leadership are inherently about power to effect change.  Self-advocacy allows people living in poverty to directly communicate their needs, views, interests, and lived experiences.  Peer advocates extend this advocacy to represent others within the same culture, class, or group in order to harness the power of collective impact.  Allies are citizen advocates who form relationships with people living in poverty, working alongside those who are most affected by inequality in order to shift the balance of power and create systemic change.  

Sources:

1. Degerickx, Heidi. (2020). Participation of People in Poverty in Social Policy Making: a Historical Study of the Rhetoric of Self-advocacy Organisations. 

2. Atkinson, D. (2002). Chapter 8: Self-Advocacy & Research. In B. Gray & R. Jackson (Eds.), Advocacy & Learning Disability (pp. 120–136). essay, Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Step Up to Leadership gives participants the tools they need to actively participate in leadership opportunities within their communities.  Participants learn board responsibilities, parliamentary procedures, public speaking tips, and how to run a commitee meeting.  Classes focus on building relationships with others in order to accomplish a larger goal.

Getting Ahead is a 16-week class in which participants evaluate their existing resources and learn how to build on those resources to create a path toward self-sufficiency.  Participants investigate their own experiences with poverty and explore community issues related to poverty.

Friends is a support network that connects Getting Ahead graduates with community members from various economic classes.  Friends participants build mutually supportive relationships and learn to view community issues through multiple perspectives.

During the Bridges Out of Poverty workshop, participants view poverty through the lens of economic class.  Participants analyze issues surrounding poverty and strategize ways to address poverty in their communities.

Building Strong Families classes help participants identify and build on their family's strengths.  Participants learn how behavioral changes can help them face challenges and make choices as a strong family unit.

Interested in helping CMCA make an impact on your community?  Click here to learn more.