As a new school year is getting underway at Finger Lakes Community College, a statewide program there is shutting down. Tuesday was the last day for what is known as the Bridge program.

Bridge College to Work was a state-funded program that provided the economically disadvantaged with training and other resources.

"It's been an up and down day,” said Kathy Guy, FLCC’s Bridge director. “People have come in and reminded me of our successes, especially the participants and that's who really kind of get to your heart. We've also had a lot of the staff and faculty stop by to say goodbye, so that's sad. And knowing that I won't be here tomorrow, that's sad as well."

Kathy said the Bridge program has served nearly 600 people a year. It has helped with financial aid, career counseling and other issues students in difficult situations deal with daily.

“They were able to help me as far as finding child care,” said Heather Boughton, an FLCC student from Newark. “They sent me to the child care council and they gave me papers on job opportunities that were available."

Older students, many of whom had been out of school for years, say the Bridge program helped out in a time of need. Having lost a job, Bridge helped direct them onto a new career path by getting those people back to school.

"I have seen an influx of older students and returning students coming back because they have lost their jobs and they need to get a different education so they can hopefully find a different future,” explained Connie Buongiorno, an FLCC student from Canandaigua. “Without the aid of the Bridge program I think it's going to be harder for them."

Those who leaned on the staff with other issues say its closing leaves them with unanswered questions.

"Wondering who I can turn to to talk to about my problems and if I'm stressed,” Ashley Allen, a student from Dundee cried. “And it's really sad that they're leaving."

Kathy Guy and her staff literally worked up to the last minute by landing a job placement for another needy student and that helped the program attain 100 percent job retention.

"We wanted to leave here with meeting that goal for job retention at a 100 percent rate,” she said. “We're a performance based grant and job retentions were the biggest goal of the grant itself. To have that 100 percent is really the crowning glory for my staff as well as myself and the program."

Kathy said it is a mystery as to what her future holds. She said she has been too busy helping others to deal with her own pending unemployment.

Finger Lakes Community College