The mission of Cass County’s Bridges Out of Poverty program is spelled out in its name: to provide county residents with a means of escaping economic hardship with their own hands.

In the coming weeks, people will have a chance to learn more about how poverty affects the population of Cass County, as the internationally recognized program hosts several educational classes at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Dowagiac. On Sept. 19, organizers will hold a Day One Training program, teaching participants about various aspects about local impoverished population, including current poverty levels and the latest research on how to solve the issue

“We will be doing some role play as well, to help them understand what the impoverished have to go through on a regular basis,” said Robin Emenaker, the chair of the organization’s steering team. “Sometimes, people live from crisis to crisis because their basic needs aren’t being met.”

Emenaker and other members of the program wrapped up the second of their two annual “Getting Ahead” classes in July. Seven locals graduated from the 15-week class, which provided them with resources and solutions for improving their lives and the lives of their families and their communities.

“They learn what poverty looks like, and they examine their own lives to discover what poverty looks like to them,” Emenaker said.

The course materials are adapted from the work of Phillip Devol and Ruby Payne, who are the founders of the Bridges Out of Poverty program. The organization has been in Cass County since 2008, where volunteers have hosted workshops and training sessions in communities such as Cassopolis, Vandalia and Dowagiac.

One of the main things that facilitators teach participants is the difference between generational and situational poverty, with the latter often being the result of crisis, such costs incurred following a major medical accident.

“The students are required to do a lot of brainstorming,” Emenaker said. “There’s also a lot of discussion since they share their own stories with the rest of the class.”

Many of the “Getting Ahead” graduates in previous classes have went on to become facilitators for latter sessions, Emenaker said.

“We have a lot of fun together,” she said. “The whole program builds relationships. It’s become a passion for all of us that work on it.”

The Sept. 19 training will begin at 9 a.m. and last until 2 p.m. A $50 fee is required to attend, which covers the cost of materials and lunch.

Bridges Out of Poverty will host an additional training session for facilitators on Oct. 17, also at St. Paul’s, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. They will also host an open house event at the Cass District Library on Nov. 20, from 5-7 p.m.