1. Become familiar with your county's W-2 Community Steering Committee. If they are working to identify barriers to employment among low income citizens in your community, ask how you can get involved in finding creative solutions.

2. Learn about child care needs in your community. Help agencies develop the supply of child care needed. Consider volunteering at after school centers, to help tutor and nurture latchkey kids.

3. Volunteer or organize volunteers to provide back-up transportation for W-2 participants to work, and children to child care when regular transportation methods breakdown. Volunteer to do simple repairs or teach participants how to do maintenance on vehicles.

4. Ask your local job training agency if W-2 participants could use help in getting appropriate work clothing as they enter the work force. If needed, organize volunteers to provide clothing.

5. Make sure your community has a current directory of programs and community services. Work with community agencies to create or update this. The directory could include information on childcare, transportation, earned income credit, nutrition education programs available through the University of Wisconsin-Extension, Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Food Stamps, School Lunch and Breakfast programs, Summer Food Service Program, food pantries or other emergency food providers, low cost/free activities for youth and families, and many others.


Other ideas can be found in: Fiffer, S & Fiffer, SS (1994). 50 Ways to Help Your Community. New York: Doubleday.