OBSERVER Photo by Damian Sebouhian Congressman Tom Reed discusses the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program at Chautauqua Works.

Congressman Tom Reed didn’t say much during his visit Monday to the Chautauqua Works Dunkirk office. Instead of answering questions, he was doing the asking. He wanted to know what was working with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and what could be improved.

TANF is designed to provide grants for various job training and education programs to low income parents.

What better way to gauge the program’s effectiveness than to sit down with some of TANF’s clients? Five of those clients were eager to share their experiences with the congressman as he’s been touring the district to promote the Jobs for Success Act, a program that reauthorizes TANF.

Each member spoke highly of the program, especially with how much support they received from the employees at Chautauqua Works.

Dan, an area resident in his late 20’s with two children, told the Congressman how he was able to use the program to assist in paying for his Master’s degree in ESL at State University New York at Fredonia.

“(The program) really benefited me,” said Dan. “I didn’t have the type of money to afford to continue my education. I have a family. It was difficult to live on my wife’s wage, going to school and not being paid anything to student teach. By having money through Chautauqua Works and getting (government grants), it enabled me to finish.”

Two clients of the program, Miguel and Steve, described their experiences with Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training.

“The training was fast,” said Miguel. “It was a four-week, 178-hour course. I was given all the information I needed to succeed and follow through.”

Miguel has yet to take his final road test, but is optimistic for his future, especially given the starting pay with class-A CDLs.

Steve has passed his road test and is excited to begin a career as a commercial truck driver.

“I was making $20,000 (a year) and it wasn’t sustaining my family,” Steve said. “Working as a regional driver, (I’ll) be making $65,000. I’m going for Dot Foods and they’re guaranteeing me $65,000 per year. In five-to-eight years, it’ll be $85 to $100,000.”

Steve added, “My kid is not going to have the lifestyle I had.”

Reed asked Steve for a picture and Steve graciously obliged.

Steve did suggest to Reed that the CDL training course could be lengthened from four weeks to seven.

“A four-week program, you’re in the grind. A seven-week program would be a little more ideal.”

After hearing more stories, Reed suggested that the program should be improved to include lower middle class families. He argued families who are just above the poverty line shouldn’t be penalized for being hard workers.

“If you’re out there hustling and working, you shouldn’t be penalized for that.”

Steve said that if he were making over $27,000 a year, he wouldn’t have qualified for the CDL training.

“If you have somebody making $30,000 a year and they want to better themselves, it is a penalty,” he said. “If I’m making $30,000, I still can’t afford $6,000 to go to school. It’s impossible.

“This is a full time (training program) so you have to leave your job for it. How are you going to pay for it if you don’t have a job?”

Katie Geise, executive director at Chautauqua Works said that she has been advocating with State Sen. Cathy Young to generate funding, not just for low income families, “But it’s that next tier up, the middle low income,” she said.

“(We need to help) with child care assistance for people that don’t meet that low income threshold,” Geise added. “We’re really advocating to try to help.”

According to Reed, the Jobs for Success Act “includes additional funding for child care and job training (and) when combined with case management services, can help to address the needs of the whole family on their path to economic self-sufficiency.”

For more information about the Jobs for Success Act, go to https://www.cbo.gov/publication/53944.

For more information about Chautauqua Works, go to http://www.chautauquaworks.com/.