In support of Framework for Our Future, the Traverse Bay Poverty Reduction Initiative is hosting the Creating Opportunities Summit on Nov. 6, 2013 at Bayview Wesleyan Church in Traverse City.

The day-long event will feature two sessions:

·       In the morning, national poverty expert Donna Beegle will share her history of living in poverty, how she worked her way out of it, and will discuss the ways in which systems and infrastructure impact people in poverty. This session will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

·       Lunch will be provided.

·       In the afternoon, we will look at much of the research and public input that has been collected through the Framework for Our Future project.  Then, breakout sessions will be held on the following topics:

o   Energy

o   Housing

o   Transportation

o   Employment

o   Education

o   Health

The purpose of these breakout sessions is to catalyze the information we have into actionable strategies for improving our systems and infrastructure in ways that assist people in poverty. This session will run from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The goal of this summit is to bring the perspective of those who struggle with daily living to community development discussions.

Watch for promotional materials and online registration, coming soon.