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Tri-County Technical College Receives $55,961 Grant for HASP Program PENDLETON - For 13 years, the Homemakers and Single Parents (HASP) organization at Tri-County Tech has provided financial and emotional support to around 1,200 men and women who might otherwise not have had the opportunity to pursue an education. The College has received a $55,961 grant designed to help homemakers, single parents and single pregnant women acquire the skills training and counseling they need to become self-supporting and to enter the workforce. The grant for the HASP program was approved by the S.C. Department of Education with federal funds provided under the Carl D. Perkins Act. The HASP program provides skills training, life skills development workshops, employment preparation and personal counseling, said Ollie Smith, who has directed the HASP program since its inception in 1985. Last year HASP served 81 persons. HASP participants also can receive financial assistance with tuition, counseling, developmental education, books and supplies. The program provides GED training for those who don't have a high school diploma. Participants are encouraged to obtain a GED if they don't have a high school diploma and are urged to continue their education through an associate degree curriculum or continuing education class. "There are always problems that threaten to pull you out of school," said Kevin Holliday, of Six Mile, a Business major and single parent. This semester he is the only male HASP participant and serves as president of the HASP Club. "HASP members encou rage you on a daily basis to continue," he said. "The program has helped me emotionally and financially," said Holliday. "If I've got a problem, participants are there for me, and that's very important. With the HASP group, I have an extended family many people never experience." Melody White, of Anderson, agrees. "HASP is like a lighthouse on the hill. It helps to fill the void. And I can always turn to Ollie for encouragement." When a person comes in to apply for the program, Mrs. Smith obtains intake data, and the prospective participant applies for financial aid, takes the placement test and attends a mandatory orientation session. A requirement of the program is that each participant attend the orientation session, says Mrs. Smith. "Orientation is one of the most significant services HASP provides," said Mrs. Smith. "It's the most effective component of the program in improving retention of the group. It's a place where they share their concerns and become a part of the group. When they come in, they are strangers, and they are apprehensive, but we create an atmosphere of safety and trust. In one week, they form a bond and become each other's support system. Through group counseling, they become their own resource group and work together to help each other," she said. "They learn that they're not alone in dealing with issues and problems," said Mrs. Smith. "There are two things they acquire in a support group: a sense of belonging and a good sense of direction," said Mrs. Smith. "Once they get into the group, they see it's possible that they can succeed. They see the value of an education, and they want to continue to improve themselves and their lifestyles," she added. "During the first day of orientation, Ollie told us this may change your life -- and it did," said Cindy Fenning, of Seneca, a 20-year-old pre-Dental Hygiene major and mother of an infant. "It has made me appreciate the person and mother I am and the p rofessional I will be when I head to the workforce." Mrs. Smith urges single parents, displaced homemakers and single pregnant women who are interested in the HASP program to begin the application process two to three months prior to the beginning of a new semester. For more information, contact Mrs. Smi th at Ext. 2106 at one of these numbers: Anderson County - 225-2250; Oconee County - 882-4412; Pickens County - 859-7033; or Clemson/Pendleton/Anderson - 646-8361. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled should call TDD/VOICE 1-800-735 -2905. |
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