Tickets: $20

Chocolate fondue, beer and wine will be served beginning at 6:00pm along with an incredible silent auction and a raffle for an “Ultimate Make-Over” filled with astonishing prizes you won’t want to miss out on!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

6:00pm –Silent Auction Begins

- Beer & Wine served for a $5 suggested donation

- Chocolate fondue and desserts sponsored by the Four Seasons Resort & Whole Grocer

- Raffle tickets go on sale for $5/ea OR 5 for $20 — Win the “Ultimate Makeover” that includes prizes by Frost Salon, Revolution Indoor Cycling, and Habits.

7:30pm — Show Time!

8:45pm — Intermission to include the remainder of the silent auction bidding and sales for raffle. Raffle will be drawn at the end of intermission.

9:15pm — Raffle Prize winner drawn and movies continue!

The honor came from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance and the Promising Pathways Initiative. They named CLIMB Wyoming as one of the nation’s ten best programs helping to move people out of poverty.

CLIMB was identified for its innovative approach as a high-performing organization in this field. This national recognition is a result of CLIMB’s remarkable and consistent outcomes, evidence-based model design, sophisticated data collection and ability to utilize data to drive and improve program decisions.

Since 1986, CLIMB Wyoming has trained and placed low-income single mothers in careers that successfully support their families. The organization, founded in Cheyenne by Ray Fleming Dinneen, has helped more than 1,300 families across the state into long-term economic security and self-sufficiency.

Hundreds of organizations, including government agencies and non-profit organizations, were considered for the distinction. The surprise selection came to light late last year, and CLIMB Wyoming was the only agency in the entire Rocky Mountain region represented.

Representatives from CLIMB Wyoming attended a conference in Washington, D.C., this month to celebrate the honor and to share information about the organization with experts across the country. Though the conference acknowledged the efforts of all ten organizations, CLIMB Wyoming was highlighted multiple times during the event, including panel discussions and presentations about its work with returns on investment, employment support programs, and reflective thinking as a component to success.

CLIMB was recognized throughout the event as a leader in its field, especially for its unique mental health model and use of licensed mental health providers to help participants, ideas that garnered national respect and interest.

The honor attracted the welcome attention of Wyoming’s congressional delegation. Diana Enzi, wife of Wyoming’s Senior Senator Mike Enzi, was a featured guest at the recognition reception. Additionally, Senators Enzi and John Barrasso set aside time to meet with CLIMB Wyoming leaders during that week to celebrate CLIMB’s efforts and thank the team for helping to improve the lives of Wyoming families.

Even receiving accolades at the national level, the staff of CLIMB Wyoming knows that connections on a statewide level are just as crucial to the program’s success, including strong partnerships with the Department of Family Services (DFS) and the Department of Workforce Services.

In appreciation of that vital support, CLIMB invited a local DFS representative to also attend the conference and share that department’s knowledge of creating a successful collaborative relationship with a non-profit organization.

“CLIMB is a model of excellence in helping clients acquire skills for self-sufficiency. In addition to trade skills, it improves the life skills needed to manage new families with children,” DFS Director Steve Corsi said.

Corrine Livers, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) Program Consultant was equally enthusiastic about CLIMB’s efforts and the impact the organization’s work is having. “CLIMB Wyoming has been one of the TANF program’s leading success stories, not just in Wyoming but nationally as well,” she said.

At this point, the Promising Pathways Initiative will take information gleaned from the conference to begin building a best practice foundation which will be used to guide other programs on how to improve services to low-income families.

For more information about CLIMB Wyoming, visit climbwyoming.org or call 307.778.4126.

About CLIMB Wyoming
Since 1986, CLIMB Wyoming (a non-profit organization) has trained and placed low-income single mothers in careers that successfully support their families. CLIMB’s unique and comprehensive job training model has helped more than 1,300 women enter higher paying careers. Graduates consistently double or even triple their monthly wage income. CLIMB programs in Casper, Cheyenne, Laramie, Gillette, the Teton Area, and the Sweetwater Area reach out to serve families in 12 counties. For more information, visit www.climbwyoming.org.

According to Bridget Giovale, CLIMB’s Sweetwater Area program director, the grant will be used to continue the efforts of helping its participants using a unique program model featuring a combination of job training, job placement, counseling and life-skills training.

Additionally, according to the most recent findings from Kids Count Data Center, nearly 45 percent of all Wyoming children raised in single-parent families are living in poverty, making this a particularly important issue to support.

In the Sweetwater area, CLIMB is working to reverse this trend by training women in higher-paying fields including the healthcare, construction and extraction industries. Statistics prove that the efforts are working. In this location:

• the CLIMB Wyoming program has a 90% graduate rate

• prior to joining the program, less than half of participants are employed, all in low-wage jobs; two years following program completion 83% are employed in higher-paying jobs before joining CLIMB, participants’ average monthly wage income was $1,127; after completing CLIMB, these women earn an average of $2,665 monthly.

“The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation is pleased to support CLIMB Wyoming and contribute to the success of families in our communities,” said Craig Nelson, Rocky Mountain Power customer and community manager.

“This grant award from Rocky Mountain Power Foundation provides an opportunity to continue helping CLIMB participants reach economic security,” Giovale said. “Through our partnership with the Foundation, we are able to strengthen families in the Sweetwater area through solid employment and financial stability that will be felt for generations to come.”

The grant, which was awarded through a competitive process, was announced by U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis on Wednesday. It will allow training of 1,410 Wyoming workers over the next four years in occupations such as Registered Nurse, Medical Records Technician, Health Information Technician and Dental Assistant.

DWS is collaborating with two other lead partners: Central Wyoming College (CWC) and CLIMB Wyoming. Several health care employers and other educational institutions are also providing services.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this training in collaboration with an outstanding group of employer partners, as well as Central Wyoming College and CLIMB Wyoming,” DWS Director Joan Evans said. “This training will provide exciting opportunities for Wyoming workers in emerging health care occupations.”

Lynne McAuliffe, Dean of Workforce and Community Education at CWC, said the timing of the grant announcement is ideal. “It’s very timely in that we will begin construction on our new Allied Health and Science Center in May, and this grant will allow us a rapid expansion of our allied health offerings, which will help ease our shortage of skilled health care workers for the state of Wyoming,” she said.

CLIMB Wyoming is a non-profit organization that has helped more than 1,300 women enter higher-paying careers.

“We are honored that Workforce Services found our case compelling enough to support us with this money, which will go directly to help improve the lives of families across Wyoming,” said Ray Fleming Dinneen, Founder and Executive Director of CLIMB.

Employer partners in the grant include Casper Community Health Center, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, Campbell County Memorial Hospital, St. John’s Hospital in Jackson, Hot Springs County Hospital, Lander Medical Center, Riverton Memorial Hospital, and Help for Health Hospice. Other education partners are the University of Wyoming Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing, Fremont County Board of Higher Education Services and Laramie County Community College.

Training will target low-income single mothers with children at home, Native Americans, veterans and eligible spouses, unemployed workers, low-skilled workers, and those requiring training/education to advance into the health care field.

The grant total of $4,924,221 is through the federal H-1B Technical Skills Training Grant program. Program partners have pledged at least $1,739,200 in additional resources.

Nationwide, 43 grants totaling more than $183 million were awarded to organizations in 28 states.

Timberly Taggart will be presented with the Women’s Opportunity Award, which includes a $2,000 cash award. The Women’s Opportunity Awards program is Soroptimist’s major women’s education project. Through the program, clubs assist women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families by giving them the resources they need to improve their education, skills, and employment prospects.

Robbin Wolfley is the recipient of a $1000 scholarship from the Soroptimist Club to be used toward nursing school.

Congratulations to these two incredible women on their well-deserved awards!

The One Percent Foundation (OPF) is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to addressing persistent global challenges by building a broad-based movement for next generation philanthropy. Don Wood of Cheyenne was the OPF member who nominated CLIMB Wyoming for the award.

CLIMB Wyoming trains and places single mothers in higher paying jobs. The organization operates six sites across Wyoming that reach out to women in 12 counties. The program has served more than 1,300 women, training and placing graduates in a variety of fields ranging from office administration and health care to welding and short haul trucking.

“We believe that philanthropy should not be driven by income or age, but by the power of collective action to create lasting change,” OPF states on its website. “Through our active participation, we are committed to spur innovation in philanthropy, the non-profit sector, and the problems they aim to solve.”

CLIMB Wyoming was recognized this year during OPF’s emphasis on organizations helping those in poverty.

As for the amount of the award, Wood says that the organization adds an additional one cent to the grant to recognize the foundation’s commitment of giving that extra one percent.

For more information about CLIMB Wyoming or to learn about giving opportunities, visit climbwyoming.org or call 307.778.4126.

To learn more about the One Percent Foundation, visit onepercentfoundation.org.

Thank You!