Community Invited to Celebrate Getting Ahead Graduation Aug. 6
STEPMC program honors McPherson County residents who spent 24 weeks working to overcome poverty
McPHERSON — After months of weekly sessions spent examining the root causes of poverty, building new relationships and taking honest stock of their lives, a new class of STEPMC's Getting Ahead program is ready to graduate — and the community is invited to celebrate with them.
The graduation ceremony will be held Thursday, August 6, at 6 p.m. at McPherson First United Methodist Church, 1200 E. Kansas Ave. The sanctuary ceremony will be followed by a reception with a light meal and cake in the fellowship hall. The event is free and open to the public with no RSVP required.
Getting Ahead is a 24-week program where participants study the 11 resources needed to build a more stable future and begin putting that knowledge into action. The program asks a lot — consistency, honesty and a willingness to be vulnerable — and this class showed up week after week with what organizers described as tenacity, authenticity, empathy and grit.
For many graduates, the ceremony marks the first time they've ever been publicly recognized for an accomplishment. Past graduates have said that seeing community members in the room — people with no personal connection, just there to show support — is one of the most powerful parts of the evening.
Graduates who want to continue building on their progress can take a next step by becoming a Team Leader, matched with a volunteer Team Partner for an 18-month friendship focused on encouragement and working toward personal goals.
STEPMC has spent 15 years walking alongside McPherson County neighbors working to overcome poverty through programs in McPherson, Moundridge and Inman.
For more information, contact Angela Brunk at 620-241-9011 or director@stepmc.org
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