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**Building Pathways to Stability: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty through Workforce Development**

 

The Work Component Program at Rising Up is a powerful, hands-on vocational training initiative designed to help homeless and low-wage workers break through barriers to employment and achieve lasting economic stability. This is not just a job placement program; it is a comprehensive career readiness pathway that provides vital education, valuable experience, and personalized support.

 

**Why It Matters**

 

For individuals in the bottom 10% of wage earners, working full-time for even 30 weeks per year is often insufficient to escape the federal poverty line. Traditional safety net programs such as SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid provide necessary assistance, but they fall short when it comes to lifting individuals out of poverty without access to marketable skills. That’s precisely where our Work Component Program makes a difference. We equip participants with essential job skills through structured training within our food pantry operations, culinary training, and janitorial skills—capitalizing on the resources we use to serve the community.

 

**Program Highlights**

 

🎓 **Free, Skills-Based Training**  

Participants gain hands-on experience in critical areas, including:

- A 12-week program provided at no cost

- Warehousing & inventory management

- Food safety & handling

- Merchandising & retail operations

- Customer service

- Computer literacy & essential administrative tools

 

⚙️ **Worksite-Based Learning**  

Upon completing online modules, participants are matched with experienced trainers for supervised, real-world experience within our food pantry, kitchen, and building maintenance.

 

📈 **Career-Focused Outcomes**  

The skills acquired align directly with high-demand local jobs at employers such as:

- Walmart

- Cargill Food Systems

- Leprino Foods

- Colorado Plains Medical Center  

These employers consistently seek candidates equipped with skills in warehousing, customer service, and workplace safety.

 

**Benefits to Participants**

✔️ Comprehensive, hands-on training  

✔️ No-cost educational opportunity  

✔️ Flexible training hours  

✔️ Pathway to well-paying jobs  

✔️ Enhanced opportunities for upward mobility  

 

**Long-Term Support & Success Tracking**

 

Our commitment to participants does not end with training. Rising Up provides robust case management for 12 months after program completion—supporting job searches, facilitating transitions to employment, and ensuring access to any necessary wraparound services.

 

🎯 **Our Goal:**  

Participants will complete their training, secure full-time employment at a sustainable wage, and confidently move away from reliance on public assistance.

 

**A Life Raft for Stability**  

This program embodies our mission to create transformative, lasting solutions to hunger, homelessness, and poverty. By utilizing our food pantry as both a training ground and support platform, we convert immediate aid into meaningful long-term opportunities.

 

**Interested in Participating or Partnering?**  

📞 Call us at (970) 370-8880 to learn more or enroll today.