(Photo Above: Sherry talks with her daughter Florence about making her goals and dreams for the future a reality, including college.)

Wyoming is Better When Our Kids Move Out of Poverty

When Sherry worked irregular hours at a Gillette coal mine, she missed a lot of her daughter Florence’s softball games. Florence, an eighth grader, plays catcher.

After the mine closed, Sherry found herself unemployed and came to Climb to find a more family-friendly career that didn’t bring so much stress into the household. “It’s important for me to be there to watch Florence play sports, but it’s bigger than that,” says Sherry. “She’s the top priority in my life.”

Sherry’s job placement in retail has the improved schedule she was looking for and has continued through the pandemic. It includes benefits like health insurance so Sherry can afford a medication to help her quit smoking.

When children move out of poverty, they are three times more likely to be employed as adults.

These days, Sherry is there in the stands a lot more often watching Florence play, cheering her on in sports…and life.

“I want to major in psychology, art, or teaching in college,” says Florence. “I’ve always wanted to go to college.”

Her mom supports her dream. Sherry says, “I hope Florence keeps doing her best and believes in herself enough to follow what makes her happy. We talk a lot about how to make that happen.”

Climb has impacted 4,967 children, enough to fill 276 Wyoming classrooms.