Empowered Newsletter | June 2025 | Issue 6 | | Four Square Community Action celebrated 60 years with an Open House event last month. | |
Empowered Practice:
Strengthening Safety, Communication, and Professionalism
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Lead with Confidence. Serve with Compassion.
June 17–18, 2025 | Raleigh Marriott City Center
Join NCCAA for a dynamic two-day training designed for Community Action professionals. This session will equip participants with practical tools to navigate challenging client interactions, reinforce safety and situational awareness, enhance team communication, apply motivational interviewing techniques, and uphold boundaries and documentation standards. Attendees will leave with real-world strategies to improve service delivery while maintaining resilience and ethical practice.
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Book Your Group Rate
Raleigh Marriott City Center
500 Fayetteville Street,
Raleigh, NC 27601
Group rate: 229.00 USD per night
Last Day to Book: June 11, 2025
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Thank You to our 2025 Conference Change Agent Sponsor!
We want to give another big thank you to the NCCAA 2025 Conference Change Agent Sponsor, AE Touch Technologies, Inc.
AE Touch Technologies is a minority-owned (Native American) company at the forefront of technology & education solutions. Now in 18 states nationwide & Puerto Rico, AE Touch Technologies continues to focus on and excel in unrivalled customer service.
Since 1977, AE Touch Technologies has innovated and served both enterprise and educational institutions. Their product lineup includes Interactive Flat Panel Displays, 4k Web Cameras, 4k Document Cameras, 4k Video Walls, Air Sterilizers, LED Writing Tablets, LED panels, Copiers, and Printers.
Their extended technology products include Temperature/Thermal Checkpoints, Kiosks, and Sanitation Robots. Learn more at www.aetouch.com
| | NCCAA Welcomes New Success Coach | | | | |
We are thrilled to welcome JoAnn Smith to the NCCAA team as our new Success Coach for the HEAL NC initiative.
JoAnn brings with her over 26 years of experience in early childhood education, including 22 years as a Head Start teacher with Johnston Lee Harnett Community Action and 4.5 years as a Mentor/Evaluator for the NC Pre-K program.
As a HEAL NC Success Coach, JoAnn will be providing case management and essential support to empower Head Start families in building sustainable livelihoods.
| | | BRCA + NCCAA Host Successful Pop-Up | | |
What an amazing day at the Blue Ridge Community Action Pop-Up event!
BRCA Community Services staff partnered with the North Carolina Community Action Association to share groceries, household essentials, and lunch with participants in the REACH Self-Sufficiency program. The event was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen community connections and offer support to families working toward greater independence.
| | News from Around The Network | |
CARRYING COMPASSION FORWARD
Mountain Projects Launches Patsy Davis Legacy Fund
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As Mountain Projects celebrates 60 years of service in Haywood and Jackson Counties, the organization marks a time of reflection and progress. Executive Director Patsy Davis, who has led for 27 years, will retire this summer. In her honor, the agency has launched the Patsy Davis Legacy Fund to support safe, affordable housing in Western North Carolina. The fund will provide emergency repairs, weatherization services, safety improvements, and home construction assistance.
To donate, visit https://mountainprojects.org/giving.
| | WAMY’s Denim & Diamonds Gala Raises $119,000 | | |
WAMY Community Action’s 2025 Denim & Diamonds gala dazzled with success, raising a record-breaking $119,000 on May 22 at The White Crow Farm. Over 250 guests attended, supporting housing, weatherization, and scholarships for children in Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties.
The evening featured a high-energy live auction led by Jesse Miller, who has raised over $385,000 for WAMY over the years. Major sponsors included Spectrum Communications, Dianne Davant & Associates, and The Dillon Family Foundation. The night was filled with food, dancing, and a spirit of giving that showcased the power of community generosity.
| | Highland Charter Head Start Sings Goodbye to Preschool | | |
Students from Gaston Community Action's Highland Charter Head Start
Pre-K class bid farewell to preschool with a special farewell song.
Watch the video to enjoy their heartfelt sendoff!
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Abdul Rasheed Honored With Community Impact Award
Congratulations to Mr. Abdul Rasheed, Director of Franklin Vance Warren Opportunity, Inc., for receiving the Community Impact Award at the Inaugural Durham UNCF Mayor’s Scholarship Ball.
Mr. Rasheed has dedicated more than 30 years to community development. As founder and former CEO of the North Carolina Community Development Initiative and Initiative Capital, he helped attract $100 million in capital and leveraged over $700 million in development projects that spurred housing and job creation in low-income communities. This honor celebrates his commitment to empowering communities and fostering opportunities for all.
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Four Square Celebrates 60 Years!
Four Square Community Action marked a major milestone with a special open house last month, celebrating 60 years of service to the Andrews community and surrounding areas. Themed “Hip to Be Square,” the celebration honored decades of advocacy, services, and support provided to individuals and families working toward self-sufficiency.
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WAGES Senior Companion of the Month: Brenda Brewington
WAGES recognized Ms. Brenda Brewington as the Senior Companion of the Month—also lovingly known as their “Superhero of the Month.”
Ms. Brewington’s compassionate service and dedication continue to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the seniors she supports. Congratulations, Brenda!
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THANKING OUR TEACHERS:
A Home Run at SCAP
Southeastern Community Action Partnership closed out Teacher Appreciation Week by celebrating the dedicated educators in their Head Start programs. A symbolic highlight was a signed baseball gifted to CEO Dr. Ericka J. Whitaker from the Head Start and Executive Leadership Team.
“I'm so honored to receive this signed baseball from my Head Start and Executive Leadership Team as a symbol of solidarity, unity, and their intent to stand with me and ‘knock it out of the park’ as we continue to lead over 968 children to a better tomorrow.” – Dr. Ericka J. Whitaker
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Spotlight on Success
Kendra Parton’s Graduation Milestone
| | Congratulations to Kendra Parton, Four Square Community Action's Graham County Section 8 Housing and Community Outreach Specialist, for earning her CNA certification from Southwestern Community College. | | | |
New Substitutes Welcomed at WAGES Head Start
WAGES Head Start and Early Head Start recently welcomed new substitute teachers during a hands-on training session focused on classroom management, safety, and supervision. Participants learned practical strategies such as “active supervision” and the “3 body parts rule” to ensure safe, effective classrooms.
Thank you to all the new team members who are now equipped to serve with excellence.
| | | Franklin County Head Start Hosts a Stylish Sneaker Ball | | The Franklin County Head Start / Early Head Start Sneaker Ball was a huge success! Students from Franklinton, Bunn, and Louisburg showed up dressed to impress—and ready to dance the night away in their freshest kicks. With music, dancing, a photo booth, and light refreshments, the evening was full of energy, laughter, and unforgettable memories. | | Photo by Gia L Photography | | ESR Leads Road to Empowerment Series | | |
Experiment in Self-Reliance (ESR) kicked off its Road to Empowerment Series with an insightful session on budgeting and saving, facilitated by Mr. Murray Miller.
The next session, “Planning Life Insurance,” is scheduled for Thursday, June 12 at 6:30 PM. Participants will explore different types of life insurance, how much coverage is needed, and debunk common myths
| | WAGES and HEAL NC Host Workshops to Help Team Members Avoid Burnout | | |
WAGES and HEAL NC are offering workshops in Wayne County based in the Community Resiliency Model (CRM), which teaches participants to re-set the natural balance of the nervous system with easy-to-understand concepts that bring reliable relief. CRM helps people help themselves and others. Beneficial to small teams and the general public, CRM helps navigate life’s difficult situations.
More Information
Christina Watts
WAGES Community Engagement Coordinator
Email: cwatts@wagesnc.org
Phone: 919-734-1178 ext. 212
| | Links to Career Pages in the NCCAA Network | | (Link goes to home page when career page isn't offered) | | |
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 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
Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity, Inc., Henderson
Johnston Lee Harnett Community Action, Inc., Smithfield
Passage Home, Wake Co.
Southeastern Community Action Partnership, Lumberton
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 (info@newcainc.org)
Wayne Action Group for Economic Solvency (WAGES), Inc., Goldsboro
| | 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.
| | 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. | | | | |
