Essentials

When: Monday and Tuesday, May 19th and 20th, 2008

Location: Memphis, TN

Geographic Target: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Southern Missouri

Registration

This event has concluded. View the presentations.

Overview

From food to housing to child care, low-wage families face rising costs at every turn, while their wages stagnate or even decline. As front-line service providers, we can help families escape these crises – but only if we develop our skills both as practitioners and leaders.

Join the National Community Tax Coalition, a leader in the movement to connect working families to tax credits and economic opportunities, as we share tools and strategies to create change on a larger scale. During this summit, we will talk about the state of low-income workers nationwide, in the South, and in the Mississippi Delta. By focusing on skill building and action planning, and providing opportunities to network with other programs, experts, and elected officials, we will help you to take your organization from a practitioner in the field to a leader in the movement.

Help your clients get all the opportunities they deserve. Join us at our Regional Summit in Memphis.

During this Summit, we will:

• Address regional needs related to free tax preparation, asset building, and the state of low-income workers.
• Conduct training to build your policy and leadership skills.
• Provide you with tools and resources that you can utilize in your work.
• Connect you to other programs in your area that are doing the same great work.

Workshops

General Session

30,000 Feet: State of Low-Income Workers, A National View
A look at the state of working families nationwide, including national economic trends, such as the oncoming recession, the mortgage crisis, and rising food costs, that affect low-income individuals, families, and especially impact children.

Drilling Down: State of Low-Income Workers, A Regional Perspective
A look at the state of low-income workers and families in the South and the Mississippi Delta, focusing on the unique challenges they face that keep them from achieving economic stability.

Going a Little Deeper: What to Expect Tomorrow
We take a look at the agenda for Day 2, which starts with skill-building and ends with action planning.

Concurrent Workshops

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Using Data to Improve Your Program
Learn to use data to your advantage. In this session, we’ll help you learn to collect and use data in a dynamic way that will improve your program, leverage more resources and wow your audiences.

The Flip Side of Free Tax Prep.: Being a Strong Voice for Low-Income Workers in Your Community
Get the information and tools you need to become a champion for low-income workers. In this workshop, we’ll teach you to develop and leverage relationships with other organizations, elected officials, and the community to lead your community to policy solutions for the problems facing low-wage workers.

Hitting Rock Bottom: Helping Low-Income Workers Navigate the Marketplace
Between payday lending, high interest credit cards, and sub prime loans, low-income workers are being squeezed from every direction. Learn about what has unraveled in the industry, how low-income taxpayers are impacted, and how your programs can make a difference by combining practice and policy.