Bridges program expanding to Ontonagon County in 2025
December 17, 2024 | By Emilie Jacques
Copper Shores Bridges is excited to announce the expansion of Getting Ahead to Ontonagon County in February 2025. This hallmark course of Bridges Out of Poverty helps people understand their personal circumstances with poverty, build personalized goals, and gain financial independence and stability. The expansion into Ontonagon County has been a goal since the conception of the Bridges program at Copper Shores.
“Although we are offering the classes to people from all four counties, it’s proving too difficult for many investigators to access consistent transportation to class,” said Michael Steber, Copper Shores Bridges program coordinator. “So, we are bringing class to them.”
Bringing Bridges to Ontonagon County is just one step in Copper Shores’ continual efforts to increase access to community resources.
“Ontonagon County is big, and the needs in the north and south end differ,” said Steber. “We’re starting by providing classes in Mass City. As large as it is, our ultimate goal is to find a way to meet the needs of all residents across the county by offering classes in two places in the county.”
Getting Ahead
Starting in February 2025, Getting Ahead will be offered in Mass City, at the Greenland Township Community Center, located on 1502 Mass Avenue. Classes will be on Thursday nights, starting February 6, 2025, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Dinner is served to participants and their children at 5:30 p.m. Syl’s Cafe in Ontonagon has partnered with Copper Shores to provide the food for the Bridges program. Transportation assistance and a $25 Pat’s Foods gift card will also be provided. The entire program is free for participants.
Ontonagon resident Aimee Kempen to play a key role
Getting Ahead will be facilitated by trained and experienced members of the Copper Shores team, including lifelong Ontonagon resident Aimee Kempen. After many conversations with Copper Shores about bettering Ontonagon County, Kempen joined the Bridges team as a facilitator, bringing a wealth of life experience, a connection to the community and new skills to the table.
Kempen is wrapping up her Associate Degree from Gogebic Community College, and gaining invaluable experience with Bridges before pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work from Northern Michigan University.
“[Social work] was always something I felt like I could make a difference in,” said Kempen. “I have a lifelong history with mental illness, substance abuse and poverty. After I lost my partner three years ago to overdose, I took stock of everything in my life. Death has a way of making you look at things; what are we doing with the time we’re living? It pushed me to go to school.”
She has enjoyed connecting with investigators in the Bridges program in Houghton and being able to help individuals without having to wait to finish her degree. Now with the expansion into Ontonagon County, Kempen is excited to bring the program and its benefits closer to home.
“My heart is here, I was raised here, I still live here,” said Kempen. “I look forward to bringing the program to the community and seeing the impact on the great people and community members that may need that little extra help to make improvements.”
Apply for Getting Ahead
Applications are being accepted between now and January 10, 2025. To apply for Getting Ahead or learn more about the Bridges program, visit coppershores.org/getting-ahead.
Emilie Jacques
"I graduated from Michigan Tech with a B.S. in Psychology, a minor in Communication Studies, and a minor in Media Production. I love the outdoors and DnD." You can reach Emilie at ejacques@coppershores.org.