The first Achiever of the Month Award was presented in October of 1993to Betty Houston of Muskegon, a mother of six who had been a welfare recipient for 20 years.
Houston said she had an attitude of hopelessness and apathy about ever becoming independent. Why seek training or education which in the AFDC world were considered to be dead-end roads?
Then things began to change. DSS changed and so did Betty Houston. In 1992, DSS launched its To Strengthen Michigan Families initiative, at the heart of which is the commitment to help clients work toward self-sufficiency and independence.
With the help of the Muskegon County Department of Social Services, she enrolled in the EDGE program and was trained as a nurse aide. At the time of the Achiever ceremony, she was working in a local nursing home, later switching to employment with a major furniture manufacturer in western Michigan. She had also decided to finish her education and was attending Muskegon Community College to complete the requirements for a registered nurse degree.
Houston's story has reached beyond Michigan's borders. She has been featured in national print media and on national and international broadcast reports, including exposure on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In addition, she has been invited and has volunteered her time to speak before groups of AFDC recipients, letting them know they, too, can make it and find success.
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The first Achiever of the Month Award was presented in October of 1993to Betty Houston of Muskegon, a mother of six who had been a welfare recipient for 20 years.
