MCCC POWER Program Receives $44,000 Grant from van Ameringen Foundation
Jan. 2, 2008, Blue Bell, Pa.— Montgomery County Community College is pleased to announce that it has received a $44,000 grant from the van Ameringen Foundation in support of its POWER Program. POWER, which stands for the Partnership On Work Enrichment and Readiness, is a 14-week educational program at the College for people in mental health recovery.
The program, which is free of charge to POWER students, is funded by the Montgomery County Office of Mental Health, Montgomery County Community College and private foundations, such as the Patricia Kind Family Foundation and the van Ameringen Foundation. The van Ameringen Foundation grant enables eligible students to receive a three-credit scholarship to the College once they have successfully completed the program. Students may also be eligible to receive a stipend to assist with the costs of transportation to and from campus, the purchase of textbooks and the purchase of professional clothing to assist them in securing employment.
The POWER Program began in spring 2006 and has served 85 students to date. Participants attend two, 90-minute sessions per week for 14 weeks, learning skills that allow them to integrate more functionally into their communities. Topics include computer skills, time management, job preparedness, resume writing and communications skills, as well as experience with resources at the College, such as the library and financial aid. At the conclusion of the program, students participate in a graduation ceremony. Students who successfully complete the program and go on to enroll as credit-students at the College or in employment-related activities elsewhere are eligible to participate in POWER Plus, a weekly program that further assists students with the transition to college and employment.
The POWER Program is open to any individual who is in mental health recovery or has been diagnosed with a mental health issue. Individuals interested in the POWER Program may obtain a referral from their therapist or case manager or self refer. For more information, call 215-517-7502.
The van Ameringen Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation, located in New York City and active principally in metropolitan New York and Philadelphia. The Foundation was established by Arnold Louis van Ameringen in 1950 and received its assets from him during his lifetime and from his estate following his death in 1966, and from his widow Hedwig van Ameringen during her lifetime and upon her death in 1996. From its beginning the Foundation has sought to stimulate prevention, education and direct care in the mental-health field with an emphasis on those individuals and populations having an impoverished background and few opportunities, for whom appropriate intervention would produce positive change.
