Horizons Community Blog (Colville, WA)

This week Colville HORIZONS and other community members participated in an in-depth RuFES (Rural Family Economic Success) workshop. The key to the RuFES approach is helping low-income rural families in ways that work for them.

The Colville community members that participated in the three day training session in SeaTac this week are:

• Heidi Braun – AmericanWest Bank
• Scott Douglas – SCORE Business Counselor/Horizons Board Member
• Terri Elders – Horizons Board Member
• Patrick Malone – Washington State University Extension
• Eric Ohrtman – Reverend, St. Paul Lutheran Church
• Sue Poe – Edward Jones/Horizons Board Member
• Kelly Scalf – Rural Resources, Transportation
• Mary Wagner – Spokane Community College

Teams from Chewelah and Kettle Falls (and others from across Washington) also participated in the workshop.

The workshop covered the following areas:

• Earned Income Tax Credit
• Money Traps
• Broadband Internet
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities

The Colville Team developed action plans that included short and long term projects. These projects are:

• EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Program
• “Nasty Nine” (money traps) Publication Program
• Money Smart – local schools Program
• Micro-entrepreneurial Business Incubator Program

Each team member provided input into these programs. The team will continue to develop and implement the programs and report back here on progress.

The video, Living with a Hole in Your Pocket, summarizes much of the workshop.