SINGLE-PARENT SEMINAR WILL BE HELD SATURDAY

A single-parent seminar will be held Saturday at the Cape Area Vocational-Technical School, 301 N. Clark.

The event, which will run from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., is the first in a series of mini-conferences designed to meet needs of single parents, said Dorothy Hardy, director of the Single Parent Program for the Cape Girardeau School District.

"The present problems among single parents in our program are as diverse as the group itself," said Hardy. "I've counseled high school students wanting practical arts credits from Vo-Tech to apply toward high school graduation and those who seek advanced placement and college credit."

Hardy said the single parent program includes a number of success stories, such as that of Christina Strohmeyer. She said Strohmeyer was determined to change her life so conditions would be better for her two children.

Her first step was to enroll in the Basic Education Program at Vo-Tech. She recently passed her GED examination and will participate in Saturday's seminar.

Hardy cited another success story: a woman, divorced after 15 years, with no marketable skills, no confidence and nowhere to go with three teen-age children. She graduates this year from the Licensed Practical Nurse Program.

And Charlie, who plans to marry his childhood sweetheart when he completes the Building Trades program. They have a 2-year old daughter.

"When Martha, a widow of 49, came into the single parent program, she was devastated over the recent loss of her husband," said Hardy. "With counseling, she found the courage and employment savvy to find a job. She is going on with her life with hope for the future."

Hardy said single parents often need counseling before they're able to take the necessary steps to get their lives on track.

"Most single parents I see need their self-esteem enhanced first, then exposure to information about all the local resources available to them including education and job-training options," she said.

Session leaders for the seminar include Molly Strickland, counselor in the Single Expectant Parent Program at Lutheran Family Services, and William Holly, manager of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service.

A student panel discussion and prizes are included in the program. Prizes for the event were donated by Procter and Gamble, Famous Barr, JCPenney, Networks and Plaza Gifts and Office Supplies.