Researchers from Notre Dame work with non-profits to lift people from poverty
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A partnership aimed to help those experiencing poverty.
The collaboration brings together Notre Dame's Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), Catholic Charities of Fort Worth Padua Program, and Goodwill Industries of Michiana. The goal is to give those who are in need of assistance the tools and education needed to improve their financial standing.
Patrick Turner is an affiliated researcher with Notre Dame's Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities. "It combines the research that we do here at Notre Dame with real world experience, and with the practitioners at Catholic Charities and other non-profits, and local trusts here in our community.
He says that he didn't get into this work to publish papers or write articles, "I wanted my work to have real world impact, or as we say at Notre Dame, to be a force for good in the world, and so seeing a program that I've been able to study... come to our local community here in South Bend kind of reinforces why I do that work."
"They have been such a blessing for me," said Olga Valquez, a mother of three in Fort Worth, Texas. When she entered the Padua Program from Catholic Charities in 2024, she had three goals: stable housing, a reliable vehicle, and turning years of housecleaning into a real business.
These days, she's done all that, and more, thanks to this partnership. "It's not just the walking with you on the journey, but the guidance you're learning and they're educating you. Now, I'll apply it to my kids like do it like this, what is your income, what is your expenses, this and that, it's amazing," said Vazquez.
This program aims to help people like Olga by making sure they can receive personalized and judgement free support with things such as housing, employment, education, and health.
Unlike traditional programs of this nature, the Padua Program does not have a time limit, which means those receiving help can do so for as long as it takes until stability is reached.