An Opportunity Conference will bring together many people living in crisis, living on the financial edge, people who don't feel there is hope to move from where they are to where they could be. People who don't feel there is a way out, nor that they have the resources to get there.

The Opportunity Conference is a fun, educational program designed for and by people living in poverty. The agenda is focused on building hope, motivation and skills for moving out of poverty. Strategies for assisting people to move out of poverty often miss the perspective of those who are experiencing poverty and fail to build in the necessary capacities for moving out of poverty. The result is poverty reduction efforts that do not provide a flexible, comprehensive approach for moving people from crisis to stability. These efforts, while well intentioned, only help people to cope with the poverty conditions and to "get by". With the Opportunity Conference approach, people are met where they are and are provided support from the perspective of people who have lived in poverty. This includes resources to help people with what they need, resources that address emotional, psychological, physical and practical needs.

Keynote Address: The Shame and Blame of Poverty
Dr. Donna Beegle, National Poverty Expert, starts the Opportunity Conference education program by relating her own experience of living in poverty. Donna works with participants to unravel the shame, blame and isolation of poverty. The focus is on setting the stage for finding hope and moving forward.

The Conference will include:

1. Breaking Barriers: Hope for taking the first steps - exercises that build hope and belief that moving out of poverty is possible. Activities are designed to assist participants in identifying strengths, skills, and talents that they already possess, and to learn they are not deficient and that possibilities exist for moving out of poverty.
   
   
2. Building capacity for moving out and staying out of poverty - strategies for moving out of poverty, such as:
   • Sharing skills and strengths to support each other
   • How to build a network of people who are not in poverty
   • How to connect to resources and opportunities. As a tool, all participants receive an address book for building their network of support.
     
     
3. Connections to Navigators - Participants are connected to "Navigators." Navigators are community members who have completed Poverty 101 training as a foundation for assisting people on their journey to moving out of poverty. Navigators commit to sharing their contact information and using their network for breaking poverty barriers.