MHA's parent support programs were started in 1994. Eventually MHA received grant funds to create a position that started part-time and evolved into a full-time job. A parent support group was formed, initially affiliated with Parents Anonymous, a national organization. In 2000, MHA changed the name of its parent support group to Parent Support (PS) because the word "anonymous" appeared to create a barrier for struggling parents who wanted to learn new skills. Today PS programs include a support group that offers free daytime and evening meetings with free childcare, as well as telephone support and over 50 workshops a year, many of which include meals and childcare. 

Click here for a WOSU news story on Getting Ahead grad Greg Waller.  (This is an MP3 file and may take a while to download.)

Click here for a WOSU news story on Getting Ahead grads Madelynn May and Peg Wachenschwanz.  (This is an MP3 file and may take a while to download.)

Prosperity Problem-Solving Suppers

• Business professional backgrounds (including retirees and college students)

• Service clubs

• Faith-based organizations

• Social services

• Government

Getting Ahead class members grads

Volunteer advocates (allies) serve as mentors to low-income parents (investigators) who are enrolled in, or have graduated from, MHA' s Getting Ahead (GA) classes. PPSS uses the problem-solving expertise of low-income people to find solutions for poverty in their own communities.

MHALC already sponsors GA classes for low-income parents. We're are a 'Bridges Out of Poverty' Community (see www.AhaProcess.com for more info.), which includes the Circles(R) program (see www.MoveTheMountain.org). Circles partners people in poverty or near poverty with people from other economic classes to work on poverty issues both for individual families and for the community as a whole. 

Recommended background reading:

Bridges Out of Poverty (Payne-DeVol-Dreussi-Smith) See links file.

Until It's Gone (Miller)