Heels Academy provides lifeline to low-income women

Jerisia Lamons

Nearly 70 percent of those living in or near the brink of poverty are women and children, and many are in the Lincoln Trail region. These families are searching for ways to improve their financial security and career readiness.

Through the efforts of several community agencies, The Heels Academy program seeks to help women on their journey to independence, and the Kentucky Career Center – Lincoln Trail is proud to be a part of it.

We’re excited to partner with Helping Hand of Hope, Community Action, The Hardin County Schools Adult Education and Excel programs and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College’s Ready to Work program in this enterprise.

The program, funded by Heels Together, an initiative of the Central Kentucky Community Foundation, offers a way for low-income women to develop self-sufficiency. Participants will attend six months of workshops and training, to include personalized coaching sessions and incentives to encourage success. Workshops will be on topics such as education, financial literacy, health literacy, housing, parenting and career readiness.

Heels Academy believes the best way to fight poverty is to give low-income women a fighting chance. Improving the lives of these women provides a long-term solution for families by offering easier access to needed services, better coordination of services and empowerment. With this program, key needs of participants will be addressed, which will improve their lives, and thereby the community at large.

Women 18 years and older who live in Hardin County and are receiving food stamps may qualify. If you or someone you know would benefit from Heels Academy, call 270-769-3092 for more information.

Applications are available at Helping Hand of Hope, Kentucky Career Center – Lincoln Trail, Community Action, Hardin County Schools Adult Education Center and ECTC Ready to Work. Deadline to apply is Feb. 15.