SINGLE PARENT PROGRAM ATTRACTS ABOUT 100 WOMEN

A recruitment campaign to attract single parents into a career counseling program at the Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School has added 20 women to the Single Parent Program.

"It's been a busy year," said Dorothy Hardy, director of the program.

She said that the program, started in 1991, has increased from 35 single parents at the end of that year to more than 100 now.

In March, the school launched a recruitment campaign to tell persons about the program and informational meetings in their neighborhoods.

"When I read about the single parent program in the newspaper, I knew I was going to the next neighborhood meeting," said Cheryl Stone, 21, of Cape Girardeau.

Stone, who's divorced, has two small children. She was trying to organize her life and had tried everything to trim living expenses. Still, she was forced to move into subsidized housing to cut expenses further.

In April, Stone attended a neighborhood meeting at the First Presbyterian Church, where she was encouraged to pursue further action. She said the Single Parent Program has provided hope.

Under Hardy's guidance, Stone said she was able to discover her own strengths and weaknesses, interests and temperament.

She decided she was interested in the school's printing and graphics program and was introduced to Tim Pensel, instructor of the offset printing technology course.

"This is what I want, to work in printing and graphics even desktop publishing," Stone said. "Maybe someday I will head an office of printing and duplicating at the university."

Hardy said Stone's story is like others who've joined the program.

"Many of these individuals are burdened with personal problems, primarily relationship problems with ex-husbands, boyfriends, parents, children, landlords and so forth," she said. "As a result, we will bring neighborhood group support sessions in several neighborhoods this fall."

Offset printing technology and computer training are just some of the courses offered at the vocational school. Hardy said single parents interested in learning more about the single parent program should contact her at 334-0826.