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Local nonprofit says Getting Ahead program boosted incomes, aims to scale to cut Rockford poverty
Summary
Mary Cassiopi, founder and CEO of Bridges to Prosperity Northern Illinois, told commissioners that the Getting Ahead 10‑week curriculum has graduated more than 250 participants and produced measurable household outcomes; the group seeks to scale to 500 annual participants to pursue a four‑point reduction in city poverty over a decade.
Mary Cassiopi, founder and CEO of Bridges to Prosperity Northern Illinois, presented the commission with program results and a scaling goal for poverty reduction.
Cassiopi described the Getting Ahead 10‑session curriculum and partnerships with Rockford Housing Authority, Winnebago County Housing Authority, community action, Goodwill and local churches. She said Bridges to Prosperity has graduated more than 250 people over five years, and summarized cohort outcomes reported to partners: 43% of participants reported income increases after the program, 44% reported reduced debt, 59% pursued additional education and 24% reduced their need for state or federal benefits.
Why it matters: Cassiopi framed poverty reduction as an economic development strategy: the group’s modeling, she said, suggests that reducing Rockford’s poverty rate by four percentage points over 10 years could generate more than $100 million annually in additional local earnings and significant social value over time.
Cassiopi described a community upward‑mobility plan released with the mayor and noted a Distressed Communities Index analysis showing a large share of Rockford residents live in zip codes classified as distressed. She said Bridges to Prosperity is building a dashboard to track housing production, affordability and mobility indicators and seeks to scale the Getting Ahead program from dozens of participants a year to hundreds.
Commissioners and attendees praised the results and discussed next steps including a financial empowerment center model and connections with local workforce and education programs. Cassiopi said the organization would share its materials and a longer testimonial video with commissioners on request.
