In our Monday paper, we published two success stories about people who are served by Adult Basic Education - the training program at the courthouse that does much more than get folks ready for the workforce.

Under the leadership of director Pat Thomas and her staff, ABE is one of those social service resources that improves the community as a whole because of the work it does. It links new immigrants, anyone needing improved literacy skills, those needing training to find jobs in today's workforce - all of which, of course, make it an effective resource for both the local business community and other social service organizations that can refer clients to ABE.

Just look at the two stories we published Monday: One was about 20 people who have completed six-week certified nursing assistant courses taught by Mary Neuman of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. A perfect example of ABE facilitating a good program, bringing together people who provide a service with those who needed it. The program was funded with grants from the Bremer Foundation and Southwest Private Industry Council Job Skills Partnership - everything funneled through ABE.

The result: A celebration last Wednesday night in which graduates of the courses talked about their new jobs, or how the CNA courses will now propel them to get nursing degrees. In either case, it is often making for a more stable home and work life, with a good percentage of those who completed the course finding full-time work.

"It's about getting people out of poverty," ABE instructor Vicky Radloff said.

And thinking bigger: "Students are saying, If I can do this, where can I go now, or where can I go with this?" Radloff said.

Thomas also credited the cooperation of Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center, and said all of those groups behind the program have made a difference in the students' lives. Plus, there's a tradeoff the other way: The medical industry needs more CNAs, Thomas said.

A good example of a program serving a lot of things.

The second story was about a graduate ceremony Sunday afternoon: Ten students graduated from ABE's GED program, and said it's an important step to improving their lives. "I want to go to school for nursing," 27-year-old Amanda VanDam of Tracy told our reporter Rae Kruger.

Another graduate will leap from the GED to enrolling in post-secondary education, possibly becoming a teacher himself.

A lot of social service organizations do good things for those in need in our community. Some help the poor or elderly, some the disabled, some those fighting a medical crisis. ABE is one of the most aggressive and visible of those programs, and one of the most important aspects of what Thomas and her staff try to do is give people another chance at becoming involved and productive citizens.

No social service agency likes to see anyone left behind or slip through the cracks of support. ABE lifts a lot of people who might have been left behind into better positions in their life, in our community. If youšre wondering why itšs important for government or charitable contributions to continue to support non-profit organizations like ABE, those two stories Monday are good examples: In just two programs, ABE improved the areašs workforce and got some people headed toward higher education who might otherwise have been left in low-wage jobs.