COVID-19 Response & NCCAA Conference Update
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented times in North Carolina and around the world. Communities are coming together to face this crisis by adhering to the recommendations and guidelines set forth by public health officials and our government leaders. Community action agencies across the state will continue to serve our most vulnerable low-income citizens, offering support and assistance throughout this crises and in the months and years to come.
Click here to view our full statement on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The health and safety of our network and partners is paramount. With this in mind we have made the difficult but necessary decision to postpone all in-person events and meetings scheduled to occur in April or May.
"2020 Vision" NCCAA Conference Postponed til October 30-November 2
New dates for previously scheduled poverty simulations, the Nonprofit Leadership Expedition, board of director's training sessions and other meetings/events will be announced soon.
The 2020 NCCAA Annual Conference will occur at the same location in Wilmington, NC during the rescheduled dates of Friday, October 30, 2020 - Monday, November 2, 2020
.
If you have already registered, your registration will automatically transfer. If you have questions about your registration, please click the "Conference Info and FAQs" for information.
If you haven't already registered, click the button below to register to join us this fall. Be sure to stay up-to-date with all the latest information visiting the conference webpage.
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Success Story: In Honor of Reentry Month
We are so proud of all the success our agencies achieve! These stories have been collected and adapted, and edited for clarity.
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“John”, like many citizens with a criminal record, had always struggled to find work. Desperate to make money, he took a temporary position that was scheduled to last only three weeks. To his surprise and delight, it lasted two months. John was praised for his good work ethic and excited when he was informed that he was being considered for permanent full-time position. A background check was run as part of his consideration, and he was subsequently dismissed.
Still motivated and determined to gain employment, John submitted numerous job applications, but was never offered a job. Although John had a diploma and some work skills, his prior convictions posed a major barrier to regaining employment.
John went to his local
Department of Public Safety
to seek employment aid and was referred to
I-CARE, Inc.
. John participated in several work readiness activities to improve his soft skills, which helped him gain confidence in himself and his skills. I-CARE helped John find and afford work clothes, and gave him a job referral to Western Carolina Safety. John interviewed and was offered a position!
“It’s discouraging to know that my past will never be my past. I needed an opportunity to demonstrate change and show my worth and loyalty. I’m thankful for I-CARE, they gave me a chance, and opened a door to employment.” -John
This story represents one of thousands of customers enrolled in a program at their local community action agency.
Community Action Works!
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Want to share your success stories? Send them to mariah.handy@nccaa.net
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Community Action News, Publications and Features
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Certification Cohorts Start April 20 and May 4
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The next cohorts for our Head Start Family Engagement and Case Management certifications start April 20th and May 4th, respectively. These professional certifications are about 8 weeks long. The next cohorts start in July, so don't miss you chance to sign up now!
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"North Carolina Strong" T-Shirt Fundraiser
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We are selling "North Carolina Strong" t-shirts to help raise funds for our agencies during this COVID-19 pandemic. These t-shirts come in 6 colors and are only $25. Consider getting yourself one and sending this link along. Let's all show our support!
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Mountain Projects is responding to COVID-19 by hosting a community drive and setting up distribution sites so families in need of food assistance can still get food. They are also providing transportation to patients with essential medical appointments, and have set up a hotline to help prioritize the needs of their communities. Great work!
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Coastal Community Action is providing external lock boxes that their clients can use to submit paperwork. This allows people to continue to access the resources they need while maintaining social distancing. This practice is especially important for people who do not have access to the internet. Great problem solving!
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Passage Home is serving as a community connector by collecting resources available in Wake county and making help easier to find. Their resource list includes kid resources, volunteer services, employment loss resources and hotlines. See their full list of resources
here.
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Agencies and clients need to be connected now more than ever. NCCARE360 is a powerful statewide case management tool that coordinates referrals and service delivery to individuals and families in need. If you haven't already - get connected!
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Virtual meetings are becoming a more common occurrence with COVID-19 on everyone's mind. Here are a some virtual meeting best practices outlined by the Harvard Business Review to help you master your virtual interactions.
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NEW Reentry is partnering with the Department of Public Safety to do porch drop-offs of hygiene kits for returning citizens. These families either cannot afford these items or cannot afford to stock up. This service also allows them access to items that they may not have the transportation to get otherwise.
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The Yadkin Valley Senior Center Quilting Group in Jonesville, NC donated 42 lap quilts to Pruitt Health-Elkin last December to ensure everyone had a loving heart felt gift. What a great volunteer activity!
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Action Pathways Head Start has taken extra measures to ensure families within their program are provided with everyday necessities during COVID-19 closures. Diapers and wipes were provided for families who needed them, along with activity packets. Each Head Start location created the activity packets, allowing parents to continue to work with their children while at home.
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A picture is worth a thousand words, which is why we want you to send us more pictures of the work you do. Pictures are a powerful part of story telling, advocacy and reporting. Taking a picture or video is as easy as taking out your cell phone!
Let's show funders, legislators, and our communities the power of our services!
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Social determinants of health is a new buzz word within social services. Social determinants represent factors of our physical, emotional and social environment that have key impacts on our health. In fact, 80% of our health outcomes are determined by where we live, work and play. For more than 50 years, community action agencies have provided a variety of programs and services which improve social determinants of health for low-income citizens. Each month, we will highlight a Community Action Agency and their work to improve the living conditions and environments of
low-income citizens.
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CAAs & Social Determinants of Health - Why Our
Work Matters
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This mont
h's feature is
Charlotte Area Fund
.
They are running a new Senior Empowerment Program (SEP) that
addresses determinants of health for seniors by combating food insecurities and malnutrition. This program also focuses on cardiovascular disease awareness and the six risk factors associated via “With Every Heartbeat is Life” curriculum. Case management, senior employment supports and emergency wrap-around services are also available for participants. SEP partners with The Connect Center to help clients eliminate out of pocket costs and co-pays for prescription drugs. This empowers our clients and keeps them from having to choose between eating and medications. Charlotte Area Fund provides each client a package of groceries to ensure they have healthy options throughout the weekend.
Thank you for all you do, Charlotte Area Fund!
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NCCAA: SHOUT OUTS
A SHOUT OUT showcases the awesome work of NC's CAA Agencies, Staff, and Partners
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Shout out and Congratulations!......
Kimberly Jenkins,
the new Disability/Mental Health Specialist of Union County Community Action, Inc. She advocates for families of children with disabilities and challenging behaviors. She supports Mental Wellness throughout the agency and works to achieve positive relationships between staff and families.
Kimberly has a Bachelor’s in Psychology and numerous certifications. She is a native of Union County and enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Kimberly is excited to continue her career in the non-profit field.
We are excited and look forward to her contributions to the NC Community Action network!
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Are you stuck at home and want to try something new? Need some coffee? NEW Grounds Coffee can be delivered to your home or office, and all proceeds support returning citizens! Give it a try.
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ROMA Pre-Conference and Board Summit
Postponed to Friday, October 30
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The Board Summit is rescheduled for October 30-31, and the ROMA pre-conference will be rescheduled for October 30 due to COVID-19 concerns. If you have already registered, your registration will automatically transfer.
More information is coming soon.
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The NCCAA is hosting a series of webinar training. Current topics include:
All webinars are free to NCCAA members. Click the button to read the webinar descriptions, learn about the presenters, and register.
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If through a comprehensive needs assessment your agency has found that your community requires a solution to address science, health and/or education, consider applying for a Ribbon of Hope Grant through GlaxoSmithKline. With this one-time $25,000 grant you can develop a new initiative or expand an existing one that should be sustainable after funds are used.
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Health and education are important areas of service for Community Action agencies. Consider applying for the Halliburton Foundation grant to increase your capacity. With more funding your agency can have a bigger impact on your communities.
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Have a project in mind that focuses on health care, education, the arts, or children? Reiman Foundation should be considered as a funding source. For the grant application they are looking to know the intended project, why this project, who will benefit from it, and how it will be administered.
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Each Community Action agency invests in its local community through various services. If your agency addresses or is looking to start addressing health (including social determinants of health), education, children, or arts, check out Centene Foundation for more information
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Does your agency need funds for programmatic and operating support? Does your agency address either education, social services, community and economic development, or environment? If so, Fluor might be an opportunity to help your agency continue working in the community effectively and efficiently.
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2020 Census is Here!
The Census information has already been mailed out! With the stay at home order, now might be a good time to talk to your clients about ways to fill out the census and why the census is important. What are you and your clients doing to make sure everyone is accounted for?
Find resources, information, hotlines and more at CAP's website below.
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April
May
July
August
September
October
November
Got thoughts, articles, ideas, suggestions for
OUR
newsletter? We'd love to hear them. Please take a minute to share - send to
info@nccaa.net
. Thank you!
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