Stories of Hope.........
Meet Chrystal/Finding Success After Prison
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Returning citizen, Chrystal T. is but one of NC's success stories of formerly incarcerated individuals who have turned a corner and transitioned to a life outside of prison walls. Chrystal T. was released on September 23, 2018 after serving 5 years and was placed at a transitional home for women.
She was also enrolled in N.E.W. Reentry Council which provided support, as well as transportation and rental assistance. Within a week of being released, she was able to obtain full-time employment as an Administrative Assistant. She was also reunited with her 3 children and has developed an even stronger bond with them.
"She is self-sustaining and has done extremely well," according to Anita Lynch,
N.E.W. Re-entry
Coordinator. "She has her own vehicle, a home, two jobs and is in school full time. She has accomplished all of that since being released."
Crystal T. represents hope for thousands of others like her.
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Chrystal T. was recognized for her outstanding achievements at the 2019 NCCAA Awards Luncheon in Wilmington earlier this year. She is featured in the NCCAA documentary film, Come Home, which aired at the annual conference.
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NEW Grounds ©
Coffee
also made its first appearance at the NCCAA annual Conference. It's a customized, specially blended coffee made expressly for NCCAA.
You may know this coffee
with a purpose
, not only tastes smooth for serious coffee drinkers - if you have sampled it, but what you might not know is that it helps
1) Support the N.E.W. Reentry program, which is altering the footprint of NC's returning citizens and
2) Generates unrestricted income for your agency.
We can all use a little extra revenue while supporting a good cause - especially our own, right?
Every dollar spent supports the N.E.W. Reentry program and returning citizens like Chrystal T.
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Learn how your agency can earn 20% of NEW Grounds© Coffee purchases or sales.
Register for our upcoming webinar.
We'll discuss NEW Grounds©Coffee, our partner Larry's Coffee, and how your agency can expand its revenue streams through existing programs and partnerships.
A follow-up link to register will be sent.
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Have questions? Email or call NEW Grounds Brand Ambassador, Padgett Harrington (pictured) at
[email protected]
or 919-790-5757.
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Speaking of NEW Grounds:
Find more details on the contest in the NEW Grounds newsletter, "Spillin' the Beans"
here.
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Nonprofit Leadership Expedition
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Facilitated by renowned leadership expert and Certified Captain,
Jim Sheegog
, this event is
almost sold out
and won’t be offered again this year.
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Calling all non-profit leaders!
Leadership is an action not a position. – Donald McGannon
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Join your peers from across the state for an immersive 2.5-day Non-Profit Leadership Expedition where your leadership skills will be enhanced through experiential learning.
If you love classroom learning, slide presentations, and boring lectures, this event is not for you.
We'll take advantage of the beautiful coastal environment surrounding Wrightsville Beach with sailing challenges, beach-side team building, and other outdoor learning activities to intensify learning and build actionable behaviors.
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Got Change?? SWIPE & Make a Difference
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I profoundly feel that the art of living is the art of giving. You're fulfilled in the moment of giving, of doing something beyond yourself. -
Laurance Rockefeller
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The Round-Up App was introduced at the conference as an easy and painless way to literally give your change.... to the nearest dollar from purchases. A swipe of your debit or credit card can fuel the efforts of
Your
Association. We need your support to better support you. Your seemingly small change (you set the limits) from purchases, combined with that of others doing the same adds up....and contributes directly to the work of the Association. How easy is that? Just download the Round-Up App on your phone and
select the North Carolina Community Action Association as your donation recipient.
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Business Dreamers SOAR
in new Entrepreneurship Program
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Winners of pitch competition at Sandhills location
1
st
Place – Drake Murphy
2
nd
Place – Bridgette Cotton
3
rd
Place – Toshia Little
Pictured below in order
- pictures taken by krystina dillard
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“Entrepreneur: someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down.”
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We have all heard stories of those who start with nothing yet somehow create and sustain successful businesses. For these dreamers, no 9 to 5 job could ever fulfill the desire of becoming a successful entrepreneur. For 24 aspiring and small-scale entrepreneurs, business dreams became a reality through the 10-week
Entrepreneurship Startup Business Program (ESBOP)
.
The ESBOP guided participants through key steps in developing and growing a business, culminating with a pitch competition in which 6 entrepreneurs received business investments ranging from $1,500 to $6,000.
This piloted program was offered through partnership with the NC Office of Economic Opportunity, NCCAA and two local community action agencies, Sandhills Community Action Program, Inc. and I-CARE, Inc. Stay tuned for updates on the long-term success of these hard-working entrepreneurs.
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The universe hands you opportunities for a while, and if you don't take them, the universe says to itself, 'Oh I see, this person doesn't like opportunities' and stops giving them to you.
- Douglas Coupland
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Community Action is playing a key role in making sure that every person is counted in the 2020 Census! Why? Because census data is used to apportion representation among states, draw congressional and state legislative districts, school districts and voting precincts, enforce voting rights and civil rights legislation, and
distribute federal dollars to states (including CSBG, Head Start, Weatherization and many more!).
Watch this video to find out what State Associations Need to Know about Community Action’s role in ensuring that Hard-To-Count people and communities are included in the Census.
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SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
I
n partnership with the NC OEO, scholarships are available to cover the enrollment fee for agencies without a ROMA Certified Professional on staff.
Enrollment is open through mid-July, an in-person training is scheduled for mid-September and you can earn your Certification before the new year!
Don’t miss out on this opportunity for professional development and to serve as a valuable resource for the Community Action network...
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New Cohort of ROMA Implementers on the Horizon in NC
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NCCAA is recruiting a new cohort of Nationally Certified ROMA Implementers.
NCCAA is committed to supporting the important work of its member agencies and is currently recruiting a new cohort of Nationally Certified ROMA Implementers. Much like the ROMA Trainer Certification, ROMA Implementers have extensive knowledge of the ROMA framework and can assist agencies in meeting Organizational Standards.
However, unlike the ROMA Training Certification, Implementers focus more on one-on-one and small group implementation of ROMA rather than the heavy focus on classroom-style training.
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“We know that the cost of a museum or attraction can be a barrier for many low-income families,” said David Locklear, Deputy Director of Economic and Family Services in the NC Division of Social Services.
“Welcoming all visitors to local attractions regardless of their income is a great way to make everybody feel like they are a valued part of their community."
Eight museums in North Carolina have been added to the list of attractions offering free or reduced admission to families that receive benefits from the Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) program. The project started in 2017 at the state’s aquariums as a joint initiative between the North Carolina Departments of Natural and Cultural Resources and Health and Human Services and was inspired by ...
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Up Close
- Agency Updates
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NEW ED JOINS THE NETWORK
"My name is Kara Jones and I am the new Executive Director for
Four Square Community Action, Inc.
Four Square Community Action, Inc. is located in the far western area of North Carolina in the town of Andrews and serves Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Swain counties.
I was raised in western North Carolina in the town of Cullowhee in Jackson county. I attended Western Carolina University and received a BS degree in Social Work and a MS degree in Home Economics. My previous work experience has mainly been in the child care profession starting as a teacher assistant in a Head Start program and ending as a Child Care Consultant with the state of North Carolina.
I have one daughter, Rachel,
pictured with me
.
I am very excited to have received this opportunity to work as Executive Director for Four Square Community Action, Inc. My goals are to support and expand the programs of this agency to best meet the needs of the citizens in the counties we serve."
One of my all-time favorite quotes I heard from one of my college professors was “If you can’t help someone at least don’t hurt them”. I hope to help many.
Welcome aboard, Kara!!
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Congratulations
Action Pathways!
(Fayetteville, Cumberland County)
- Action Pathways (Fayetteville, Cumberland County) was recently awarded a Community Progress Fund grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) to expand its programs to provide fresh produce to communities, especially those impacted by Hurricane Florence. Action Pathways is a Second Harvest Food Bank site. The ZSR and its Trustees awarded $2.5 million in Community-Based Grants to communities across North Carolina.
Way to go, Action Pathways!!
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Dr. Landon B. Mason Sr., NCRT, President, North Carolina Community Action Association & Executive Director of the Economic Improvement Council, Inc. said this about Food & Supply Source....
“ The Economic Improvement Council has been able to save 32% on their food cost spending due to the Food and Supply Source team. We are grateful and
appreciative for the assistance and professionalism of the Food and Supply Source team.”
For over 20 years,
Food & Supply Source
has saved their members over $200 million. Through their free program, organizations in the human service sector (both for and non-profit) are able to lower their spend on food and supplies. This allows them to reallocate these funds back into program operations. Working together, Food & Supply Source can help your program fight the war on poverty. "We serve hundreds of programs throughout the USA, so let us help you save."
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Zip code determines life expectancy more than diet and exercise.
We’ve all been told that eating right and exercising are essential to good health, however, that narrative is starting to shift. Social determinants of health are becoming the new focus as people become aware of what truly impacts health. Zip codes and daily interactions play a bigger part of your health outcome and life expectancy than previously thought. As you might imagine, low-income communities with few resources have lower life expectancies than their counterparts living in affluent neighborhoods. This is a result of social factors creating environments that are detrimental to health.
So what are Social Determinants of Health? .......
According to the World Health Organization, social determinants of health are, “conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” See examples and.........
Learn More
about the Impact on Low Income Communities and What Can Be Done
Submitted by Tasha Lucas, Health Initiatives Ambassador, NC Community Action Association
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The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ State Center for Health Statistics produced an
interactive map
that shows social determinants of health indicators in North Carolina, including the economic, social and neighborhood, and housing and transportation status of residents across the state.
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Understanding data on social determinants of health, such as income, educational level, and employment, can help focus efforts to improve community health.
Read More
about the tools supported by CDC resources.
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M-W's
(Merriam Webster's)
noun
| rih-SID-uh-viz-um
Definition
:
a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially : relapse into criminal behavior
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JULY
31/
Deadline to
submit applications for the NC Housing Foreclosure prevention
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
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