| Transportation Strategy Meeting |
Posted: November 18, 2008 2:35 pm |
Northcentral Montana Regional Transit Implementation Plan
Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC)
November 21, 2008, 1:00 PM
Conference Room, Fort Belknap Casino
104 Assiniboine Ave., Harlem
(Intersection of US Hwy 2 and MT Hwy 66)
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| MSU Colleges of Technology Developing Energy Education Programs |
Posted: November 11, 2008 10:22 am |
By Tim Leeds, Havre Daily News
Montana State University-Northern
is joining two other Montana campuses
— and a program in Idaho — to help
train top-ranked workers in the everexpanding field of energy production.
“You want to have the wisdom to
know it’s going to happen and have
students in place,” said Greg Kegel,
dean of Northern’s College of Technical
Sciences. “I think that’s the planning
that’s in place.”
Northern is working with Idaho
State University in Pocatello, Idaho, to develop curriculum specifically
designed to train workers in energy
fields. Montana State University-
Billings and the Montana State
University College of Technology in
Great Falls are also working to implement the curriculum in ISU's Energy Systems Technology and Education
Center to train Montanans’ for highpaying jobs expected to mushroom in
the state.
“We put the people together to share the information,” said Leah Noel, community development coordinator for Opportunity Link, a Montana poverty reduction organization. “It’s like a
learning network. Whatever it takes to
help students get access to this education, that's what we want to do."
The full article that appeared in the Havre Daily News on November 10, 2008 is available for download in PDF format on our Downloads page.
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| Pacific Steel & Recycling Invests $44,000 in Tax Help Montana |
Posted: October 28, 2008 4:23 pm |
Tax Help Montana, the state wide free tax preparation coalition, is getting a boost across Montana with a $44,000 sponsorship from Pacific Steel and Recycling. "We value community programs across our state that offer opportunities for families to help themselves, and this is an excellent fit," said Ron Hays, Director of Marketing for Pacific Steel and Recycling.
Last year, Tax Help Montana had a total of 32 sites across the state. "We are excited to be able to reach more Montanans with this service. Every dollar invested in Tax Help Montana has a return on investment of $66.52 to our local communities. The investment by Pacific Steel and Recycling will bring millions of dollars back to communities across Montana," said Karen Heisler, Asset Development Director for Rural Dynamics Inc./Consumer Credit Counseling Service, one of the primary organizations in the Tax Help Montana coalition.
Tax Help Montana is supported by Opportunity Link's partnership with Rural Dynamics/CCCSMT. An initial investment of $5,000 by Opp Link in 2004 to support staff time to implement the program in Montana, which spurred further funding from DPHHS, Opportunities, Inc., and the Kellogg Foundation. To date, the $5,000 seed investment in 2004 has leveraged over $2.3 million in funding to support the free tax sites in Montana.
For more information about Tax Help Montana, visit the website at
www.cccsmt.org/TaxHelpMontana/Index.html or contact Jodi Schmick at (406) 454-5731 jschmick@ruraldynamics.org
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| Pacific Steel & Recycling Invests $44,000 in Tax Help Montana |
Posted: August 4, 2008 12:03 pm |
Join us with Community Spirit!
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| Assistance Eligibility Screening Tool Online! |
Posted: July 17, 2008 11:52 am |
Rural Dynamics Launches the Bridge to Benefits Screening Tool
Bridge to Benefits has reached Montana! The anonymous work support tool asks 13 simple questions and quickly determines individuals and family’s potential eligibility for workers benefits such as the low income energy assistance program (LIEP) or Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). Once the preliminary eligibility is assessed, the program provides application forms and local contact information to get help applying for the individual programs. No personal identifying information is required for the program.
The Bridge to Benefits web tool can be found at http://montana.bridgetobenefits.org/ or through the www.ruraldynamics.org/. The tool is free. The is a combined effort of Rural Dynamics Incorporated and the Children’s Defense Fund of Minnesota with the support of Opportunity Link. Organizations assisting low to moderate income Montanan’s across the state will be utilizing this tool in their preliminary screening process. If you would like more information on the tool please contact Christina Barsky at 454.5717.
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| Transportation, Indianpreneurship & Work Force |
Posted: October 6, 2008 12:10 pm |
Opportunity Link, Inc. staff are working diligently to collaborate with residents in our region and local government, agencies and institutions to establish a regional transit program.
Applications are now available for the Montana Department of Commerce’s 2009 Montana Indian Equity Fund for established Native American businesses or to help new business owners get started. This year a $7,000 grant will each be awarded to 15 businesses – two recipients from each of Montana’s seven federally-recognized Indian Reservations and the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe. There is also funding for one enrolled member living off the reservations.
And Opportunity Link, Inc. staff has been networking with educational and job force developers to gather information about possible opportunities for community members.
These topics will be covered in our newest newsletter coming out in the next few days.
But until then please click on downloads and read our quarterly report, and the guidelines for the small business grants from the Montana Department of Commerce.
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| SELF-HELP HOUSING PROGRAM |
Posted: July 31, 2008 6:52 pm |
JOIN US WITH
COMMUNITY SPIRIT!
DISTRICT 4 HRDC
SELF-HELP HOUSING PROGRAM
&
OPPORTUNITY LINK, INC.
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO OUR
COMMUNITY WORKDAY AUGUST 16, 2008
SATURDAY FROM 9AM TO 3PM
14 Place West, Self-Help Housing Site
Highland Park area of Havre, MT
Behind Northern MT Clinic-West
ACTIVITIES OF THE DAY INCLUDE:
• GET DOWN AND DIRTY WITH US WHILE WE PLANT TREES!
• JOINING US IN CELEBRATING THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW HOMES FOR THE SELFHELP
HOUSING PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.
• LEARN HOW TO OWN YOUR OWN HOME OR VOLUNTEER WITH THE SELF-HELP
HOUSING PROGRAM.
• MEET NEW FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS!
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: PAULA HORSLEY: 265-6743 ext. 126
Starlaen Perkins: 265-3699
Taco John’s TACO CART will be there at 12pm NOON to provide FREE lunch to all community members
Self-Help
Housing
Work Site
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| Rural Dynamics and Opportunity Link, Inc. Partner for Family Economic Development Initiatives |
Posted: June 30, 2008 9:28 am |
Opportunity Link, Inc and Rural Dynamics Incorporated/Consumer Credit Counseling Service (RDI) have entered into a partnership to build economic security across Northcentral Montana. RDI has been a leader in providing financial education services to low-income residents of the Northern Plains Region including Montana, and the partnership expands RDI’s work into the underserved rural communities of Northcentral Montana. Program work includes increasing Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) outreach in underserved areas of rural Northcentral Montana; creating additional access points and facilitating the development of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites in underserved areas; providing comprehensive financial literacy education integrated with tax services; and asset-building through savings accounts and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).
The partnership will also support promotion of and access to a web based tool that evaluates an individual’s or family’s eligibility for community programs such as Reduced School Lunch, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPS), Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), Child Care Resources, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) among others. This project, known as the Bridge to Benefits program, assists social service providers and low income working families in accessing necessary information to make informed decisions regarding state and federal programs.
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| Outstanding Community Contributor Award Recipient Joe Brodeur |
Posted: March 25, 2008 12:18 pm |
At Opportunity Link's annual membership meeting in Great Falls on January 19, Joe Brodeur was given the Outstanding Community Contributor Award. Each year at the annual meeting, civic leaders are recognized for their continuous contributions toward improving their community.
Joe was nominated by Shad Moyer of Neighborhood Housing Services, who wrote about Joe's incredible dedication to "Fix Up Great Falls", a project that assists elderly and disabled people with home repairs and yard clean up. "Whenever an individual is in need, Joe immediated goes to the home without hesitation, assesses the project, collects the needed materials, and makes repairs," wrote Moyer. "He is a polite, respectful, knowledgeable individual, who is passionate in helping others, and an asset to the members of the Great Falls community." Thank you, Joe, for your gifts of time, talent and skills that have made your community a better place to live.
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| ONE MINUTE SURVEY |
Posted: March 6, 2008 5:29 pm |
GOOD DAY EVERYBODY!
PLEASE TAKE OUR ONE MINUTE SURVEY. CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK AND FILL IN THE ANSWERS HIT SUBMIT AND YOU'RE DONE! YOU WILL BE HELPING TO ASSIST US IN ASSESSING WAYS TO INCREASE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE IN OUR REGION.
THANK YOU
OL Staff
survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e297mf9afdhyexff/start
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