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December 1997
 Tonya Latham
The December Achiever of the Month award for 1997 was presented to Tonya Latham. Tonya is the single mother of one son and turned to the Family Independence Agency in 1989 to help make ends meet. Unable to be completely free from the system she relied on public assistance on and off for many years. In December of 1996, the Family Independence Agency referred her to Peckham Vocational Industries to take part in the Work First Program. She received help with her resume and interviewing skills. Tonya sent out many resumes, but despite daily job search activity and excellent follow through, none of the job interviews led to a job offer.
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November 1997
 Lou Mears
Lou Mears, the November 1997 Achiever of the Month, is the single mother of two children. As a child she was raised on public assistance and as an adult she relied on public assistance to support her family. She had been unemployed for four years and felt that there was no hope or use in finding a job.
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October 1997
 Betty Perry
Betty Perry is the Family Independence Agency Achiever of the Month for October 1997. Betty and her husband have four grown children, two grandchildren and two children at home. She is a member of the Keweenaw Bay Chippewa Indian Community. Betty’s life changed when her husband became disabled. She applied for public assistance in June 1997 because she feared that her family would be without health insurance and income.
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September 1997
 Michael and Elizabeth Stanley
Michael and Elizabeth Stanley of Standish received the 1997 September Achiever of the Month Award. They are the parents of five children and have been on and off public assistance since 1985. Through the help of the Arenac County Family Independence Agency and Michigan Works! Region 7B Consortium they enrolled in the Work First Program. Both Mike and Elizabeth learned pre-employment skills for four weeks. Following intensive training they were each placed at separate Community Work Experience Program sites to gain work experience.
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August 1997
 Darnell Carter
Darnell Carter, the August 1997 Achiever of the Month, is the single father of his seven year old daughter. He applied for public assistance at the Wayne County, Harper/Gratiot District Family Independence Agency when his daughter came into his life in 1995. He did not know that he was the father of a child until he was told by a relative of the child’s mother. The mother had abandoned the child and his daughter was in foster care.
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July 1997
 Beth Garner
The 1997 July Achiever of the Month Award was presented to Beth Garner of Trout Lake. Beth is the mother of four children and she is pregnant with her fifth child. Since 1990 the Garner family has turned to the Family Independence Agency during difficult times.
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June 1997
 Kelly Campbell
The 1997 June Achiever of the Month, Kelly Campbell turned to the Tuscola County FIA to help make ends meet when her son was born in 1990. Kelly was raised on public assistance and at the age of sixteen she left home. She met a man who she later married. He threatened and forced her to quit school.
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May 1997
 Laurie Comerford
The 1997 May Achiever of the Month Award recognized Laurie Comerford of Traverse City. Faced with many barriers, Laurie turned to the Leelanau County FIA to help make ends meet in March of 1997. As a pregnant teen, she completed her high school education through the Teen Parent Program and graduated with an "A" average. Her child was born premature in 1995 and has Cerebral Palsy.
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April 1997
 Lori Jo Barager
Lori Jo Barager of Clare received the Achiever of the Month Award for April 1997. As a single mother of one son, Lori began receiving public assistance in January, 1989. She needed help because her son is autistic making health care and day care difficult to afford. She attended Mid-Michigan Community College. Through the MOST program, the FIA provided her with supportive services such as car repairs and mileage. However, in 1995 Lori had to drop out of school due to the difficulty of her sons' behaviors and lack of day care that would take him.
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March 1997
 Donald Berryhill
The March 1997 Achiever of the Month Award was presented to Donald Berryhill of Bath. Donald began receiving State Disability Assistance in January 1994 after a gunshot wound to his left shoulder, caused by a hunting mishap, left his left arm paralyzed. Doctors told him there was a slim chance he would regain use of his arm, but he did after surgery and extensive therapy.
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February 1997
 Karen Vergosen
Karen Vergosen of St. Clair Shores received the Achiever of the Month Award for February 1997. A divorced mother of three, Karen turned to the Macomb County FIA in 1988 to help make ends meet. Lacking self-esteem she still made efforts to become independent by enrolling in community college courses. However, she suffered a serious leg injury, suffered two blood clots and lost her home.
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January 1997
 Diane Morgan
The January 1997 Achiever of the Month Award recognized the efforts of Diane Morgan of Allendale. Diane applied for assistance in April 1990 after her husband left her with their three children, no income, and no car. Her rent, heat and utilities were vendored, leaving her with $28.00 a month and food stamps.
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