This content was published: November 13, 2001. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
New Directions Focuses on Displaced Homemakers
Photos and story by James Hill
ST. HELENS, Ore. – Portland Community College’s New Directions program will be extending services to St. Helens just in time for winter term. The PCC program, which helps single parents and displaced homemakers make positive changes in their lives, will offer a tuition-free, four-credit class from 1 to 3 p.m., starting Jan. 8 and ending March 14. The class, which will go every Tuesday and Thursday, will be held at the St. Helens Center, located at 1510 St. Helens Street"We’ve had requests for outreach to St. Helens and this class is a commitment to service in Columbia County,"said Christine Paull, coordinator of New Directions. "We had women driving in from Rainier to Rock Creek. I am sure they would prefer a class in St. Helens. The New Directions program helps women take steps towards self-sufficiency in careers and education. We’re excited about seeing what the demand is."Interested students are asked to attend an informational meeting and interview for placement in the class. The informational meetings will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Nov. 27 and Dec. 11, at the St. Helens Center.Friends, counselors and other supportive people are encouraged to attend the information meetings with the student. The class itself will cover increasing self-awareness, self-esteem, and improving life skills as well as personal development and career exploration. It is the result of the college addressing a clear need in Columbia County.New Directions is directed toward single-parent households and displaced homemakers. It also serves minority families and low to moderate-income families.For more information, contact Christine Paull at the Rock Creek Campus Women’s Resource Center at Rock Creek (503-614-7448, or 1-866-922-1010, ext.7448), or reserve a spot in an informational meeting by calling Becki Bozart, administrative assistant in Community Education, at 503-397-1311.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »