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Football night in Iola See B1
THE Weekender Saturday, August 31, 2013
Empower U! improves job skills, self-image
By STEVEN SCHWARTZ steven@iolaregister.com
Dommica “D.D.” Bailey’s story is not uncommon for Allen County. She couldn’t find a job, didn’t have a proper education and didn’t have the tools to support her family. Now, a newly started organization is arming Bailey with the resources to get her life, self-confidence and future back. Bailey is part of Circles of Allen County, a division of the Circles USA Network. Georgia Masterson is responsible for bringing the program to Allen County that began June 1. Its goal is to help those in poverty emerge from a downward cycle. “Poverty can be about personal choices,”
By STEVEN SCHWARTZ steven@iolaregister.com
The adult education department at Allen Community College is looking to give people the “soft skills” they need to get back into the workforce. Empower U! is a threeweek, 12-class course meant to aid people who are looking to improve their interpersonal skills. While not limited to those who are looking for work, Adult Education Director Julia Martin said the class will look at resumes, interviewing skills and workplace etiquette. Adult Education Instructor Karen Culver said the program was actually born out of Allen County’s Drug Court. District Court Judge Daniel Creitz came to ACC at the end of 2012, asking them to organize an educational portion of the Drug Court — which aims to help drug offenders out of addiction, while avoiding jail time. “We thought this was something that could benefit the community at large,” Culver said. She and Martin “tweaked” the course to be more community-oriented. See EMPOWER | Page A3
‘Cirles’ fights poverty cycle
See CIRCLES | Page A4
Above, Georgia Masterson, left, and Dommica Bailey stand behind the reception desk at Thrive Allen County — Bailey’s new job. REGISTER/STEVEN SCHWARTZ
Higher need: lower stocks By KAYLA BANZET kayla@iolaregister.com
The Rev. Phil Honeycutt shows the near-bare shelves at the Iola Community Food Pantry, 16 W. Broadway. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET
The Rev. Phil Honeycutt never wants to send someone away hungry when they visit the Community Food Pantry. He said that they are “here to help.” However, in recent weeks the pantry has experienced low donations. “In the summer we got hit hard because the kids weren’t getting meals at school,” Honeycutt said. The pantry’s shelves are starting to look bare in part because more people are qualifying for assistance from the pantry which is based on one’s income. Jeri Waters keeps track of orders and donations at the food pantry. She and her husband Tom have been volunteering for a year and a See PANTRY | Page A3
A work in progress
At left, Bill Wilson climbs up a ladder to the landing in front of his mural at Red Barn Veterinary Clinic’s new location Thursday afternoon. He and his daughter Elizabeth, pictured at right, have been working on the mural for about one month and plan to be finished “within two weeks,” Wilson said. Wilson is an art teacher at Marmaton Valley USD 256. Wilson said Elizabeth has been heavily involved in the painting process — she helped with the mural at the Allen County Fairgrounds as well. He said mural painting has been a part-time job in his six years as an art teacher, and “has just become a part of my life.” REGISTER/STEVEN SCHWARTZ
Quote of the day Vol. 115, No.217
“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” — Thomas Jefferson 75 Cents
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