Empowered Newsletter | January 2024 | Issue 1 | |
Executive Director, Linda Mitchell Johnson and Program Manager, Ms. Della Ham of the Florence County, SC, Leatherman Senior Center, and Edi Palau, Director, Housing & Energy Programs, NCCAA, along with Frankie Miller, Housing & Energy Specialist, NCCAA, during a recent meeting to discuss the Duke Energy "DEP" Weatherization Program | |
Let's Celebrate and Learn!
Ball Rolling on NCCAA Annual Conference 2024. Sign Up Now!
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Join your colleagues and other non-profit professionals from across North Carolina for a week of plenary sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities. We foster collaboration and focused attention on the diverse faces of poverty in North Carolina while promoting positive change in our communities.
Celebrating 60 years!
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Our 2024 Conference in Cherokee will celebrate the
60th Anniversary of the NCCAA and the
Community Action Movement
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Registration Fees:
Early Rates (until Friday February 2, 2024)
Early Bird Member Rate - $500
Early Bird Non-Member Rate - $575
Regular Member Rate - $550
Regular Non-Member Rate - $625
Late Rates (after Friday March 22, 2024)
Late Registration Member Rate - $675
Late Registration Non-Member Rate - $775
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In addition to our full schedule of workshops and sessions, these bonus workshops are planned:
Head Start & Weatherization
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Standing awards are an important part of our annual conference each year.
Please take time to submit a nomination from your agency!
All nominations must be received by 11:59PM on Friday March 8, 2024
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Roselle Copeland Stewardship Award | This award focuses on exemplary individual contributions to the Association, the local community or agency and/or the low-income community at large. | Lonnie D. Burton Achievement Award | The Lonnie D. Burton Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual who, through the assistance of a Community Action Program, has achieved a significant level of self-sufficiency and independence, while recognition is given to the local Community Action Agency’s role in helping nominees to help themselves. | |
The Gloria M. Williams Award is presented annually to a corporation, foundation, or other valuable partner that has advanced the cause of the North Carolina Community Action Association or one of its members. | Show your gratitude and let team members from the boardroom to the mailroom know you value what they do. Nominate one person who exemplifies "the heart" of community action at your organization! | |
WORTH WATCHING - LBJ's Unconditional War on Poverty Speech January 8, 1964 | |
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As we begin to celebrate our 60th year, we look back to the birth of Community Action:
The following six minutes represent one of the most important speeches in the history of the United States. Here, President Lyndon Johnson declared the War on Poverty and within 45 days, a blueprint for the War would be drafted and the Community Action roles would be determined.
LBJ's speech on January 8, 1964, was the culmination of 2 years of steadily growing awareness and societal demands since the publication of Michael Harrington's book The Other America. For the first time in American history, the question was not “could we afford it” but rather “should we do it." The answer was a resounding yes. (credit: NCAF)
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Featured Career Opportunity | |
Available Resource: NCAP Offers Content You Can Use for Poverty Awareness Month | |
Agency Spotlight: Blue Ridge Community Action
Teddy Bears at Northside Head Start Center
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“Mr. Steve” works in BRCA’s Facilities and Grounds department, and is an excellent friend and role model to children at the Northside Center. Steve’s mother was kind enough to send teddy bears to an Early Head Start classroom recently. BRCA shared a big thank you to Steve and his mother for making so many children smile! | |
Success Story: Action Pathways Participant Attains Solar PV Associate Certification | |
The Solar PV Associate Certification is an entry-level solar energy training course designed to help individuals understand the world's fastest-growing form of power generation - solar power. This course provides the most comprehensive introduction to solar energy that you will find. It touches on the basics of how it works and explores the specialty areas of PV installation, design, and sales. Juma Lawson is a recent graduate. | |
"As a new Solar PV Designer, I have the knowledge and responsibility for the layout and sizing of solar photovoltaic systems. As a New Solar Photovoltaic Associate, I'm recognized as an individual who has demonstrated knowledge of the fundamental principles of the application, design, installation, and operation of Solar Photovoltaic systems in renewable energy. This step will help me to expand in Weatherization and Renewable Energy."
– Juma Lawson
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Community Action News From Around State | |
Passage Home Names New Director | |
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Passage Home, Wake County’s Community Action
Agency, has named a respected leader as its third CEO in its 32-year history, Cari Boram, J.D. Ms. Boram’s leadership experience in nonprofit, healthcare, and human services sectors and in building strong collaborations among partners advances the organization’s work to help Wake County individuals and families achieve housing and income security.
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Donation Leads to Holiday Food and Hygiene Box Deliveries | |
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Coastal Community Action Board Treasurer Julian Tripp recently made a generous donation to the organization, allowing Executive Director Catissa Head and her staff to provide food boxes and hygiene items to 10 families in the Senior, Head Start, HUD, Weatherization, and CSBG programs this Christmas. Coastal Community Action, Inc.'s staff members Dora Jones, Janice Mattocks, Laura Taylor, Sheila Upchurch-Prior, Kecia Miller, and Deanna Willis generously contributed their time to shop for and assemble the items for each family. CCA, Inc. wanted to share this wonderful gesture of kindness with our network!
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Efforts lead to a Special Christmas for Homeless Family | |
Before Christmas one of Mountain Projects' Head Start teachers tipped off staff about a students' family of five living in their SUV. The organization jumped into action, using its Emergency Fund and a network of generous community members to find the Camilot family an apartment and outfit that home with all the items necessary to set up a household and have a happy Christmas. | |
Soto Steps Out of Retirement for New Role | |
Seasoned non-profit leader Melissa Soto, former Executive Director of WAMY, stepped out of retirement and is now the new executive director of Quiet Givers — a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in the High Country that seeks to meet the needs of people in the community that existing agencies are unable to address. | |
Agency Spotlight: Telamon Corporation | |
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Earl Dunn, Lasentanada Faison and Veronica Sanchez Lopez of Telamon Corporation’s Pathways to Success team helped coordinate a Toys for Tots toy distribution in mid-December at the Pathways building in Sampson County. The team spent time bundling toys for our Sampson County families in Head Start as well as other families in the county.
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Anniversary Celebration Note
NCAP 60th Anniversary Poster Contest
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The year 2024 will mark 60 years since the birth of Community Action! To commemorate this important milestone, the National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) is sponsoring a poster contest. Open to Community Action staff, board, volunteers, and their family members, the contest challenges competitors to visually demonstrate the important role of Community Action in fighting the conditions of poverty. | |
February Opportunity
2024 Management & Leadership Conference
Regular Registration Ends Soon!
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NCAP’s Management and Leadership Training Conference (MLTC) is targeted to board and staff leaders at Community Action Agencies. In addition, Weatherization providers and other nonprofit human services are welcome to attend and engage. MLTC 2024 will take place February 14–16 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the JW Marriott Las Vegas. The event will feature intensive training, structured roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities. Whether you’ve been leading and managing for years, or you’re looking forward to that promotion into management, you’ll become your best at NCAP’s Management and Leadership Training Conference! | |
Agency Spotlight: Macon County Program for Progress | |
This elf showed up for Spirit Week at Macon Program for Progress | |
In 2023, the NCCAA launched the Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot (DDDRP) through grant funding from the Office of Community Services (OCS). This initiative has been branded for NC as The D.I.A.P.E.R. Project (Demonstrating Innovative Approaches to Promote Economic Resiliency). In partnership with the Diaper Bank of NC, five of our local community action agencies work to provide needed diapers and diapering supplies to qualified families. Participating families are waitlisted from Head Start/Early Head Start and receive 100 diapers/month, as well as wipes and ointment. Wraparound supportive services are offered to families, as well as referrals to promote economic self-sufficiency. NCCAA is excited to continue to offer this incredible program to not only ensure children have access to clean diapers, but also families are provided support as they work to improve their economic mobility. | |
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Choanoke Area Development Association (CADA)
Bertie, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton
Economic Improvement Council (EIC)
Martin, Chowan, Pasquotank, Tyrell, Hyde
Franklin-Vance-Warren-Opportunities, Inc.
Vance, Warren
Greene Lamp
Lenoir, Greene
WAGES, Inc
Wayne
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Learn More About the DIAPER Project | |
Action Pathways and NCCAA
NCCAA Program Spotlight: Weatherization
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Another image from our October visit to Action Pathways, courtesy of Action Pathways: Frankie Miller, Housing & Energy Specialist, NCCAA; Syreeta Shaw, Program Director, Action Pathways; Edi Palau, Director, Housing & Energy Programs, NCCAA; Takisha Adams, Operations Manager, Action Pathways | |
Certificate Program Classes Scheduled for the 1st Quarter of '24 | |
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The NCCAA, in partnership with Southern University, continues to offer popular certificate courses in Case Management and Head Start Family Engagement.
Class start dates have been set for the first quarter of 2024. Please reach out if we can provide fliers for your distribution.
Read More About the Certificates at These Links:
Head Start
Case Management
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Health Note
Free Covid Tests Available this Fall
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Agency Spotlight: Greene Lamp Community Action | |
Greene Lamp Community Action CSBG Self-Sufficiency Program takes part in the Town of Grimesland, NC, Christmas Parade. | |
Remembering Leaders and Colleagues
In Memoriam: Cynthia Jevette Brown
Cynthia Jevette Brown, a descendant of survivors of Wilmington's 1898 coup and massacre who dedicated her life to making the history of the event better known and to bettering the lives of people in Wilmington's Black community, died Nov. 23 at Lower Cape Fear Life Care in Wilmington. She was 68. Brown was the director of human resources for the city of Wilmington in the mid-1990s and later served as director of the nonprofit New Hanover County Community Action Inc., running the county's Head Start program for at-risk youngsters.
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Links to Career Pages in Our Network | |
(Link goes to home page when career page isn't offered) | |
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Far West
Blue Ridge Community Action, Morganton
Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission Inc., N. Wilkesboro
Catawba County, Hickory
Community Action Opportunities, Asheville
Four Square Community Action, Inc., Murphy
Macon County Program for Progress, Franklin
Mountain Projects, Waynesville
WAMY, Watauga, Avery, Mitchell and Yancey Counties
West
Charlotte Area Fund, Inc., Charlotte
Davidson County Community Action, Lexington
Experiments in Self-Reliance, Inc., Winston-Salem
Gaston Community Action, Inc., Gastonia
I-Care, Inc., Statesville
Salisbury-Rowan Community Action, Salisbury
Sandhills Community Action Program, Southern Pines
Union County Community Action, Monroe
Yadkin Co. Economic Development District, Boonville
Central
Alamance Co. Community Services Agency, Burlington
Central Piedmont Community Action, Durham area
Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity, Inc., Henderson
Johnston Lee Harnett Community Action, Inc., Smithfield
Passage Home, Wake Co.
Southeastern Community Action Partnership, Lumberton
Telamon, Raleigh
Welfare Reform Liaison Project, Greensboro
East
Action Pathways, Fayetteville
Choanoke Area Development Assoc., Rich Square
Coastal Community Action, Newport
Economic Improvement Council, Edenton
Eastern Carolina Human Services Agency, Jacksonville
Greene Lamp, Inc., Kinston
NEW Community Action, Rocky Mount
Wayne Action Group for Economic Solvency (WAGES), Inc., Goldsboro
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Share your community action career opportunities on our web page and have them distributed to 7000+ emails through the NCCAA newsletter! Send your job listings to communications@nccaa.net. | |
Working together to share the impact of Community Action
Does your Community Action Agency have impactful content to share? Let's collaborate. The NCCAA develops creative content year-round to celebrate, educate and inform. Let's amplify the voices of organizations in our network! Let's share the impactful work of community action and tell the stories of our clients! Reach out for collaboration: communications@nccaa.net.
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“I Am” Community Action Video
Please share this video in your social media!
The purpose of Community Action agencies is to provide a broad range of activities and services that help individuals move the needle towards self sufficiency. Our programs help and encourage children and youth, support the working poor, support individuals and households in crisis, sustain and honor the elderly, strengthen families and work to strengthen the entire community. #CommunityAction #NCCAA
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Share Community Action News with a Friend | |
As a member of the NCCAA community, we work to empower low-income families, change people's lives for the better and improve the communities we serve. We are all dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other. Please take a moment and forward this news to a co-worker and grow the community of professionals dedicated to this important work. | | | | |
