Our heartbeat is very simple: We empower families and young adults to move beyond public assistance and into their full God-given potential. Public assistance is great for a short period of time, but it ultimately keeps people from thriving.
Ripple of One is a program strategically designed to help those are stuck at the benefits cliff. This cliff is where a small increase in pay or a better job can lead to a steep reduction in rent and food assistance. When this happens they can make sometimes up to $1000 less in total income. The benefits cliff can make it impossible to reach higher.
We use our proven recipe - mentoring + incentives to motivate and inspire our participants. Each adult is provided a mentor, financial coach and parent support team to guide them on their journey. The incentives are given for reaching goals in 3 key areas… education/work readiness, financial stability, physical health.
Our Lil’ ripplers (see video below) also receive a mentor, attend classes and earn incentives to learn healthy habits. By nurturing the whole person, our participants will be motivated to strive for achieving financial independence. Through this 2-year program, they begin to believe in themselves and gain the courage and financial tools that it takes to move well beyond public assistance.
Lil’ Ripplers
Amber Charles,
Ripple Graduate
“It really does take time and consistency to make permanent change in your life, which is why the support and accountability of Ripple of One is necessary. If you don’t know what to do with your life, but you want more, then start with the Ripple of One program!
Our History
Stephanie Enders – Founder, Executive Director
Ripple of One was founded in 2010 when Stephanie Enders went to David McCutcheon, Director of the United Way of Oconee County, to discuss a way to incentivize struggling families to move beyond government assistance. Her insight was gained through fifteen years of volunteering in homeless shelters and another 5 years of mentoring in the Family Friends Program directed by Sandra Pruitt. Her experience with Family Friends crystallized into a program that merges financial literacy, accountability, mentoring and tailored incentives. This is how Stephanie describes her approach: “Ripple of One was created after I had the opportunity to be a mentor for low income families. I became a family friend, motivator and cheerleader to the parent I was matched with. All the families I worked with lived in government housing or mobile homes. I started to discover some common threads. A thread of not knowing that God has given them gifts and talents they’re not using. Also a thread of being ‘stuck’ with little incentive to move out of their current situation. Sandra taught me that mentoring was key — without a relationship and trust — it's hard to make a difference in a life.
With the help of brainstorming with the United Way Leadership, (David McCutcheon and Sandra Pruitt from the adult mentoring project) we were able to add some ‘ingredient's’ that has empowered many families."
