BEND CITY COUNCILOR TO BE GUEST SPEAKER AT W.O.M.E.N. IN TRANSFORMATION
Bend City Councilor Jodie Barram is slated to be the guest speaker at the final session of the W.O.M.E.N. in Transformation program on Thursday, October 15 at 6 p.m. Twenty women from communities throughout Central Oregon will be completing the 3-part workshop series aimed at overcoming challenges in getting back into the workforce or furthering their careers.
The W.O.M.E.N. in Transformation workshop series helps women in identifying and overcoming barriers in their lives that have prevented them from achieving their personal and career goals. The program consists of three 3-hour classes offering information on a range of topics including occupations, professional appearance and self-confidence, and educational opportunities available in Central Oregon.
Vicky MacRitchie, a certified counselor and life coach with the Women’s Resource Center, taught the first session of the series, Enhance Your Life, on October 1st at the Redmond Gateway Center. MacRitchie focused on identifying a person’s core values and how to address issues and make changes.
The second session was held at WorkSource Central Oregon’s Redmond Employment Office located at Central Oregon Community College’s Redmond campus. This October 8th session focused on career exploration and offered a tour of WorkSource Central Oregon’s services, including career information, occupations and industries, along with job search techniques. The workshop was presented by Teresa Bigness, Charlene Miller, and Patti Cook from WorkSource Central Oregon, Redmond. Richard Thompson of The College Place was on hand to discuss the benefits of higher education and funding opportunities available for college. Diane Hansen of NeighborImpact conducted a presentation on Energy saving tips. Each participant received $100 in energy saving products and learned of other services available through the program. In addition, three participating women were selected to receive free hair stylings donated by Miranda Collins, hair stylist and owner of Visible Changes Salon & Spa in Redmond.
The final session on October 15th, featuring Councilor Barram, will be held at the Gateway Center at 2445 SW Canal Blvd in Redmond.
“Our first W.O.M.E.N. in Transformation session in May was so well received” reported Kelly Fisher, program coordinator, “that we had a waiting list of women who wanted to attend the next class before the first session was completed.”
All local women are eligible to participate. Any women that would like to know more about the program or to sign up for future workshops should contact Fisher at 323-7411.
Partnering with Families Forward on this program are the Women’s Resource Center of Central Oregon, WorkSource Oregon, NeighborImpact and The College Place.
Families Forward was created by Housing Works, the regional housing authority. The nonprofit was formed to provide the resources and collaborative partnerships needed to offer the housing authority’s clients and other members of the community greater access to services and educational programs. The intent is to increase the numbers of households achieving economic independence and self-sufficiency and to provide opportunities for affordable homeownership.
WorkSource Central Oregon offers a wide range of services that can help job seekers regain employment or improve their current employment prospects and to aid businesses to meet their workforce needs. The state agency serve businesses by recruiting and referring the best qualified applicants to jobs, and providing resources to diverse job seekers in support of their employment needs. These services are offered at no charge.
The Women’s Resource Center of Central Oregon, founded in 2003, is built on a partnership model of community members, organizations and businesses. The non-profit organization provides education and training, counseling, support services and resource referrals to effect positive change for individuals.
The College Place is sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The Foundation’s and its affiliated companies’ mission, Helping Educate America, provides a wide range of services to students, parents, schools, lenders, and the U.S. Department of Education. The College Place’s purpose and top priority is to assist individuals in selecing and funding education beyond high school.
Neighbor Impact’s Weatherization Program provides free attic, wall, floor, duct and pipe insulation; health and safety testing; and energy education to households in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties. The program is for income-qualified homeowners and renters living in houses, mobile homes, manufactured homes or multi-family complexes. The weatherization program typically serves up to twelve low-income households per month and has provided weatherization assistance to over 1,000 households to date.
