On the right path
Sharing our successes with the communities we serve.
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Action Pathways, Inc. receives
five-year grant to continue
Head Start/Early Head Start
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The United States Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has awarded Action Pathways, Inc. (API) a new five-year Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS) grant for the Cumberland County area.
The grant will provide HS/EHS services encompassing early learning and development, health, and family well-being to hundreds of pre-school children, infants and toddlers.
HS is a federally funded child development program that provides free social and educational opportunities to prepare income-eligible children from birth through age 5 with essential skills needed to enter the public school system. HS is provided at no cost to eligible participants.
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HS/EHS programs promote infants’ and toddlers’ physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development through safe and enriching care-giving. HS/EHS programs support families, including expectant mothers, parents, and other adults, as primary caregivers and teachers of their children. To qualify for HS/EHS, household income must be at or below the poverty level.
Since 1965, API has been a leader in child care for ages birth to 5. API has successfully operated more than 30 quality HS/EHS Centers throughout Cumberland County. Thousands of children have benefited from the Head Start Project since its inception.
“We are so thankful to the Office of Head Start for this funding,” said API Board of Directors Chairman Glenn Adams. “This grant will not only enable us to continue to provide quality childhood education to hundreds of children, it will also allow us to reach even more children and give them the right start to their education, as well as their social and emotional development. I appreciate the tremendous efforts of the CEO and leadership of Action Pathways in securing this funding, and the work they do every day.”
While continuing to offer HS services, the new grant has a greater focus on EHS with the rationale that earlier intervention will lead to better outcomes. The science of early childhood development confirms that infancy and toddler-hood are times of intense intellectual engagement. Furthermore, babies and toddlers living in high-risk environments need additional support to promote their healthy growth and development. API’s greater focus is on serving this under-served demographic in our community.
“Our amazing staff has worked so hard to secure this funding so that we can continue and expand our early education programs,” said API CEO Lonnie Ballard, Jr. “It’s been well proven that when a child’s education begins in their early years, the positive effects on their well-being and social-emotional health will be immeasurable. We look forward to continuing Action Pathways’ goal of serving the most vulnerable members of our community, starting, most importantly, with our children.”
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Jack & Jill Foundation donates to $1,100 to API |
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Members of the Cumberland County Chapter of the Jack and Jill Foundation are shown in this Facebook photo. |
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The Jack and Jill Foundation of Cumberland County presented a donation to the Action Pathways, Inc. Board of Directors at the July 1 meeting.
Stephanie Oliver, president of the Fayetteville Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., made the presentation. Jack and Jill is an organization of mothers working to develop the next generation of African American leaders. The organization's philanthropic arm, Jack and Jill Foundation, annually awards numerous college scholarships and grants for a variety of community programs and also choose a local nonprofit organization to support. This year the Fayetteville chapter chose Action Pathways.
The donation amount was $1,100.29.
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ASPIRE helps participants achieve self-sufficiency |
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For years, Action Pathways, Inc.'s ASPIRE program has helped countless Cumberland and Sampson County residents achieve self-sufficiency, by providing assistance with education, community involvement, employment readiness, financial management, and housing and utility support. ASPIRE stands for Achievement, Success, Progress, Independence, Readiness and Evolve, and those who participate in the program learn to truly ASPIRE to greatness.
The ASPIRE program held a virtual graduation ceremony on June 10 to honor those who have completed the program over the past year.
Graduates were:
Gloria Bethea, Sheila Bowens, Kiara Chapman, Shenelle Cooper, Michelle Djajich, Joyce Grayson, LaShanda Greene, Sonya Hardy, Zayda T. Humphrey, April Johnson, Sandra Spell Love, Notra McLaurin, Tiffany Parker, Cheryl Peacock, Nicole Walton, Elizabeth Wells.
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Kiara Chapman entered into the ASPIRE Program on June 4, 2019. "Throughout her time in the program, she showed drive and determination, and she never let her situation be a setback for her," said Case Manager Tamara Calhoun. "After enrolling in the program, Kiara was able to obtain a job that she began on November 16, 2020, and has been successful on the job since she started. Kiara worked hard to stay in school, work, and get an education, which would make her more marketable and career ready." |
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"With the ASPIRE program during COVID-19, I have a jump start on a brand new career path. I know meeting people like me and hearing people's life experiences motivated me to make a change for the better. This helps my children know that their mom is making a change for them to have a better life." |
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Action Pathways' Food Bank, ASPIRE program continue outreach in Sampson County |
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Volunteers from the community and Action Pathways employees loaded boxes of non-perishable food items at a joint drive-thru Second Harvest Food Bank/ASPIRE Self-Sufficiency Program joint event at the Sampson Expo Center on June 22. |
ABOVE: Takisha Adams, left, Operations Manager for the Weatherization Assistance Program, accepted a donation on behalf of the food bank from Leslie Radcliff at the Food Bank Distribution/ASPIRE Recruitment event in Hope Mills on June 8.
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Community volunteers and Action Pathways employees braved a rainy morning on June 22 at the Sampson Expo Center in Clinton for the second joint food distribution/ASPIRE Self-Sufficiency recruitment event in two months.
The events, which offer food boxes, backpacks with disaster supplies and information on the ASPIRE program, have already drawn new participants in the self-sufficiency program, said ASPIRE Interim Director Syreeta Morrisey.
"Our numbers have grown since we started doing these events," she added. "And we're still looking for more applicants for our ASPIRE, NC Cares and disaster relief (Relief NC) programs."
To learn more about ASPIRE, visit the "Service Spotlight" section below.
Food Bank Director David Griffin said he's also been pleased with the turnout at the events, which have taken place in Sampson and Cumberland counties over the past two months.
"We're giving out about 17,000 pounds of food at these events, plus the backpacks," he said. Griffin also estimated that each of these events serves more than 1,000 individuals.
The backpacks contain COVID-19 supplies, as well as natural disaster supplies, while the food boxes contain non-perishable items like pasta sauce, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables and juice.
Because of the success of the previous events, held throughout May and June, Morrisey and Griffin said they plan to host more joint events in the future, including another at the Sampson Expo Center on July 27.
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Shayla Scott, a participant in Action Pathways ASPIRE Self-Sufficiency Program, obtained her certification in Culinary Arts from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts on March 30, 2021.
Ms. Scott is a single mother who has always dreamed of becoming a chef. "This is just the beginning of my dreams," she said. "Therefore, I will not stop until I accomplish them all."
She is focused on furthering her credentials and hopes to instruct other aspiring chefs. She also plans to enter various cooking contests with the ultimate hope of being selected to show her skills and talent on the Food Network in the future.
Congratulations, Shayla! We'll be watching!
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Social-Emotional Summer Activities for Children 1-4 |
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Robin Harris, Mental Health & Inclusion Coordinator with Action Pathways Head Start, provided the following tips to help keep children's social-emotional health sharp throughout the summer break.
Try these activities with your children at home and watch their skills develop and grow.
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1s
- Let your baby “help” during daily routines. Encourage your baby to get the cup and spoon for mealtime, to “find” shoes and coat for dressing, and to “bring the pants or diaper for changing. Following directions is an important social emotional skill to learn.
- Make puppets out of a sock or paper bag — one for you and one for your baby. Have your puppet talk to your baby or your baby’s puppet. Encourage your baby to talk back.
- Take a large piece of drawing paper to a table. Show your baby how to scribble with a large non-toxic crayon. Take turns making marks on the paper. It’s also fun to paint with water. Scribbling is a part of pre-literacy skills, and holding the crayon supports their fine motor growth.
- This is the time when babies learn that adults can be useful. When your baby asks for something by vocalizing or pointing, respond to his or her signal with “Name the object.” Encourage him to communicate again, taking turns with each other in a conversation. This helps to build vocabulary and learning to use words.
2s
- Action is an important part of a child’s life. Play a game with a ball where you give directions and your child does the action, such as, “kick the ball,” “roll the ball” or “bounce the ball.” Take turns giving directions — allow your child to direct you on what to do. Following directions and taking turns is an important social-emotional skill to learn.
- Play Follow the Leader. Walk on tippy toes, walk backward, and walk slow or fast with big steps and little steps.
- Enhance listening skills by playing both slow and fast music. Songs with speed changes are great for this activity! Show your child how to move fast with fast speeds and slowly with slow speeds of the music. This activity teaches self-regulation.
- Children can find endless uses for boxes. A box big enough for your child to fit in can become a car; an appliance box with windows and door cut out can become a playhouse.
3s
- Draw simple pictures of faces that show happy, sad, excited, or silly expressions. Cut them out and glue them on a popsicle stick or pencil. Let your child act out the different feelings with puppets or with their own face and expressions. This teaches identifying emotions and building emotional vocabulary.
- Give your child directions that have at least two steps when you are cooking, dressing, or cleaning. Example: Say "put that pan in the sink and then pick up the red spoon.” Following directions, listening, and remembering are an important part of social emotional development.
- Create a pretend disagreement between stuffed animals or dolls. Talk with your child about what happened, feelings and how best to work out problems when they come up. This teaches problem-solving skills, empathy, and compassion for others.
4s
- Invite your child to play a counting game. Using a large piece of paper, make a simple game board with a straight path. Use dice to determine the count. Count with your child and encourage them to hop the game piece to each square, counting each time the piece touches down. This teaches listening skills, taking turns, and social activity… and counting too!
- Play the “Guess what will happen” game to encourage your child’s problem-solving and critical thinking skills. For example, ask your child during bath time or washing dishes “what do you think would happen if I turned on the hot water and cold water at the same time?” or “what would happen if I stacked the blocks to the top of the ceiling?”
- “Write” and mail a letter to a relative or friend. Provide your child with paper, crayons or pencil and an envelops. Let your child draw or scribble or write a letter. When done put it in an envelope and mail to the relative or friend. This teaches thinking of others, object/people permanence, and pre – literacy skills.
Check out these websites for more ideas for social-emotional activities for young children:
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Service Spotlight
Could you or someone you know benefit from the ASPIRE program?
Services include:
- Employment readiness training/workshops
- Educational assistance (GED & Continuing Education and Curriculum Courses)
- Financial management/ budgeting
- Nutrition/Health assistance
- Maintaining affordable/safe housing
- Transportation assistance
- Community involvement-(Leadership Program)
Call (910) 223-0116 for more information or click here. Available in Cumberland and Sampson counties only.
How can you help feed the hungry in Southeast North Carolina? Donate here.
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Action Pathways Employee Spotlight |
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Delores Holloway, WAP and Relief NC Project Manager, was named Employee of the Month for May for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP).
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Takisha Adams, CSBG, CARES and WAP Operations Manager, was named Employee of the Month for May for ASPIRE and CSBG programs.
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