NEW DIRECTOR OF PROJECT HOPE HOPES TO GET CHURCHES INVOLVED IN PROGRAM

Giving people some dignity in their lives and work not only helps make them better but benefits the community and church, says the director of a new faith-based mentoring program.

Mentoring relationships "not only strengthen the body of Christ and the church, but it means businesses will have employees that meet their needs," said Dennis Ridgon. "Dignity is the key. God gives us dignity as his sons and daughters, and that is the key to taking a risk and moving from welfare to a low-income job."

Rigdon is newly hired coordinator of Project HOPE, a faith-based mentoring program designed to help people moving from welfare to work. HOPE is an acronym for Helping Other People Excel. His office is in the SEMO Private Industry Council building.

Project HOPE is funded by a $77,250 grant from the Caring Communities program and serves Cape Girardeau County. The funds come from the Department of Social Services. Similar projects are being started in Pemiscot and Scott counties.

Shirley Ramsey, executive director of the Community Caring Council, said many of the county's existing welfare-to-work programs will fit into the plan for Project Hope.

The government has been encouraging churches to get involved, Ramsey said. "There are always a lot of people that would like to help but don't know how to go about it," he said.

The mentoring program will offer them training and guidance along the way. Rigdon will be available to work with churches and partner them with people seeking a mentoring relationship.

"Dennis has the heart for this and will do a terrific job," said Ramsey. "He is a special person who really truly cares about people."

For many years Rigdon has been involved with community ministry programs through his church, St. Vincent de Paul. Through a variety of programs, the church offers furniture and household items, monthly meals, and used cars to people in need.

Rigdon hopes that churches throughout the county can become involved by committing resources and acting as mentors, either individually or in groups, to people moving from welfare to employment.

Taking such a step is a huge risk for people, he said. The community needs to be involved in that transition.

When Jesus Christ called his followers to be disciples, he fully expected them to get involved in the lives of others, he said. Jesus spent plenty of time with the sinners and the poor, Rigdon said.

But in the past 50 years the church has divorced itself from the community, he said. Community assistance and support is key to making the welfare-to-work program successful, he said.

Ramsey believes there are "a lot of good, empathetic, caring people willing to be mentors" in the county. "We are not talking about taking every burden that a family might have," she said. "But just having a friend there can be a difference."

Rigdon said there have been some failures with other attempts at mentoring because "people were just left hanging." It is tough to "make that big leap to being dignified and providing for your family," he said.

The connections in the community can be made regardless of age or culture, Rigdon said.

Offering support is an integral part of the program. Many of the people moving from welfare to work are really struggling. "We are talking about people struggling to find a place to live or get their kids what they need," she said. "And others of us have no idea such a situation exists. There is a tendency to see the bad cases."

Small things like having the extra money to pay for car repairs or missing work because of a child's illness "can turn your life into an uproar," Rigdon said. Churches can be there to offer a helping hand.

Eventually, Rigdon would like the program to include as many as 85 churches and individuals in mentoring partnerships. "I know we have at least that many churches in the county," he said.