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Citizens' Television Promotes Successes in Connecticut EZ
New Haven, Connecticut, EZ

Simply put, Empowered Voices is a weekly celebration of accomplishments in the New Haven, Connecticut EZ. This 1-hour, prerecorded show has been airing each Friday evening since March 2003 on a local public access channel, Citizens' Television. Hosted by Tom Ficklin, director of marketing and communications for Empower New Haven, the program reaches a majority of the local cable system's 100,000+ homes.

"The face of Empower New Haven is that of our residents," says Empower New Haven's acting president and CEO Althea Marshall. "It has been a blessing to depict the Empower New Haven family and the real-life uplifting drama of the Empower New Haven story via this community medium of public access broadcast."

While saluting the many residents who have taken advantage of EZ programs and initiatives, the show presents local vendors and community partners as approachable and ready to help residents achieve individual or family fi4nancial independence. Empowered Voices showcases EZ residents who have:

	Participated in the Individual Development Account Homeownership Program.
	Purchased homes via the Loan to Grant Homepower Program.
	Driven cars due to the partnership with Lutheran Social Services/Good News Garage Program.
	Attended Gateway Community College through the Career Ladders Partnership.
	Secured employment due to Empower New Haven's partnership with Support and Training Result in Valuable Employees (STRIVE).
	Started a business through the business power technical assistance initiative.
	Received a job upgrade via the customized training initiative.

Given the variety of initiatives it has underway and audiences it needs to reach, Empower New Haven and Citizens' Television developed a second hour-long program that airs on Sunday afternoons. This weekly show features press conferences, partner annual meetings, EZ resident graduations from partner programs, community forums, and Empower New Haven neighborhood celebrations.

The Sunday broadcast captures events and milestones in the community. These events have included the mayor of New Haven and representatives of the U.S. Congress addressing an anti-predatory lending initiative, the earned income tax credit program, an emergency home repair program, and Federal EZ tax incentives.

For more information on the programs of the New Haven EZ, contact Acting President and CEO Althea Marshall, Empower New Haven, at (203) 776-2777.