Published: May 07, 2008 11:08 am            

HOPE offers series of life skills classes; deadline today

By Cristin Ross

cross@jacksonvilleprogress.com

One Chinese proverb says, “give a man a fish, feed him for a day — teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” That’s exactly the sentiment HOPE Inc. (Helping Others Pursue Enrichment) is adopting by offering a series of life skills classes to begin Thursday.

HOPE is offering these classes in an effort to help people learn to better manage their money, to plan and prepare affordable nutritional meals and to share tips on stretching a budget to include healthier choices every day.

“Part of our mission statement is to provide the tools people need to become self-sufficient,” HOPE Director Fran Daniel said. “These classes are a way to help educate and inform people so they can help themselves become self-sustainable.”

Classes will be offered for eight weeks, twice a day — one at 11 a.m. for Spanish-speaking people and one at noon for English-speaking people.

Classes start Thursday at the HOPE Center, 595 S. Ragsdale St., in Jacksonville, and will continue through July 3.

The first class will cover container gardening, taught by Amanda Childress. Other topics for subsequent classes will include money management, job search tips, nutritional eating, reading and understanding food labels and planning menus and shopping lists — that class will feature a guided grocery store shopping trip. Participants who complete all eight classes will be provided a voucher for the trip.

To sign up for the classes, call the HOPE office, 903-586-7781 by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

        

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