March 2020
Agency News
Success Story: Provided by Experiment in Self-Reliance
We are so proud of all the success our agencies achieve! These stories have been collected and adapted, and edited for clarity.
The Challenge
“Adam” came to Experiment in Self-Reliance (ESR) underemployed. He was attempting to support two children and his wife who had to stay home with their infant son who faced several surgeries after he was born. He wanted to complete CDL training to obtain stable employment that paid well enough to support his family until they could put their baby in daycare.

The Solution
In less than five months in ESR’s Self Sufficiency program, Adam successfully completed the  Your Money Your Goals  financial empowerment series. With assistance from ESR, he completed his CDL training. Two days after passing the CDL test, Adam earned his license.

Community Action Works
Adam signed a contract to begin job training and was hired at a regional trucking company. This position allows him to stay home with his family on the weekends. His wife plans to accomplish her career goals once their finances stabilize and childcare becomes more accessible. The skilled ESR team helped to stabilize Adam’s family and provided skill and job training as he pursued his dream of earning a higher wage while being present for his growing family.
 
This story represents one of thousands of customers enrolled in a program at their local community action agency.  Community Action Works!

Want to share your success stories? Send them to [email protected]
Community Action News, Publications and Features
We are thrilled to announce that BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina has invested another million dollars into our Healthy Home Initiative, which means we are able to reach an additional 38 rural counties and help about 200 more families improve their living condition.
Southeastern Community and Family Services is hosting Emergency Preparedness workshops from March through June in which emergency preparedness kits will be distributed to low-income and vulnerable families. CAAs provide long-term support to local families and communities after disasters. Contact your  local agency  for opportunities to support and donate to these efforts.
In recent years, federal and state administrations have declared April as "Second Chance Month" and/or identified "Reentry Week." Let's advocate for these designations in 2020 by contacting national, state and local elected officials. Also, consider hosting   awareness events, coordinating resources for returning citizens, educating elected officials and/or requesting support from your Representative to support  The Second Chance Act  (SB562).  
NCCARE360 is a powerful statewide case management tool that coordinates referrals and service delivery to individuals and families in need. All community based organizations and service providers are encouraged to participate. Platform enrollment, participation and training/technical assistance is free. Currently, 50 of 100 NC  counties are onboarded . If you haven't already - get connected!
Poverty is complex. In this article, award winning journalist, Michael Graff, explores the depths of Charlotte’s poverty, homelessness, and the quest to become self-sufficient from an up close and personal perspective. This story details the experiences of a participant served by the the Charlotte Area Fund, the CAA serving Mecklenburg County.

*photo by Alvin Jacobs Jr
The NCCAA recently hosted its last installment in a series of four community health events. Thank you to our sponsor, AmeriHealth Caritas, for investing in the health and well-being of rural and low-income communities.

Here are the recipes mentioned in this update:
North Carolina will receive approximately $8 Million of $25 Million in federal funds to address long-term recovery efforts as a result of Hurricane Florence. Funds will support families with low-incomes as they continue to rebuild years after the storm. The NC Office of Economic Opportunity will administer and monitor these funds. More information can be found   here . 
Johnston-Lee-Harnett Community Action's 17th annual Banquet and Silent Auction is on May 12 in Smithfield, NC.
April Beck from WAMY talks with the Glory1130 podcast about their community housing coalition they are developing in Avery county.
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.
CAAs & Social Determinants of Health - Why Our
Work Matters
This month's feature is Action Pathways , which is transforming housing access and affordability, economic conditions, nutrition, and child/family development through a variety of programs including: Weatherization Assistance Program, HARRP, the Duke Energy Helping Home Fund, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC Healthy Homes Initiative, affordable rental housing, Head Start, a Self-Sufficiency program and the Second Harvest food bank.

Thank you for all you do, Action Pathways. 
NCCAA: SHOUT OUTS
A SHOUT OUT showcases the awesome work of NC's CAA Agencies, Staff, and Partners
Shout out and Congratulations!......  Susan Soques, the new Fiscal Analyst with the Office of Economic Opportunity.  Susan’s experience includes 20 years serving in Grants Management, Monitoring and Accounting, primarily within DHHS. She also has fiscal management experience within non-profits that served early education and low-income housing programs within the State. Her education includes a B.A. in Business and Accounting and she is licensed as a CPA in North Carolina.

We are excited and look forward to her contributions to the NC Community Action network!
Keep the Shout-Outs coming - send to [email protected]
NEW Grounds Coffee
Did you know you could get 20% of the revenue from NEW Grounds Coffee? Learn how you can help returning citizens and fundraise for your organization at the same time by clicking the button!
NCCAA Events
ROMA Pre-Conference
May 12
Wilmington, NC
Calling all Nationally Certified ROMA Trainers and Implementers! Join us for this year's Pre-Conference event to connect with other ROMA professionals and improve your ROMA skills and knowledge. Facilitated by a National ROMA expert, we will explore how to use ROMA for continuous quality improvement. This event is sponsored by OEO and NCCAA and there is no cost to participate. 
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"2020 Vision" for the 2020 NCCAA Conference
May 12-15
Wilmington, NC
"Where there is no vision, there is no hope" - George Washington Carver

The 2020 NCCAA annual conference will offer clarity and insight for "2020 Vision" in the new year. Keep up with the latest updates and the developing agenda on the conference website here.

We are still accepting sponsorship opportunities for this event. Learn more here
Head Start Track Featured at NCCAA Conference
Head Start Professionals, join us at the 2020 NCCAA Conference as we feature workshops to promote education and skills needed to operate high functioning Head Start programs. Hear from the President of the NC Head Start Assocation, Mr. Terry David, as he leads workshops around the Head Start Policy Council and Innovation in Head Start. In addition, Head Start trainer/consultant, Mr. Henry Jones will help your team explore Managing Head Start Operations (Management Systems, Cost Savings and Results). Stay current on regional initiatives and priories as we hear partner updates from Dr. Calvin Moore, Regional Program Manager, Region IV Office of Head Start. Click here (ADD LINK) to view the full conference agenda and be sure to secure your ticket to participate in the the Head Start Roundtable Luncheon.
Award Nominations Are Open
The three 2020 Standing  Award s and The Essential Piece  Award  are now open. Nominees for The Essential Piece  Award  will be recognized at the conference and qualify for "The Essential Piece Community Action Employee of the Year  Award ."

There is no fee to submit nominations for these  award s, however they must be submitted/postmarked by Friday, March 20th to be considered.
2020 NCCAA Board Summit
May 16-17
Wilmington, NC
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other board members from across the state and hear from industry leaders on everything from board roles and responsibilities to assessing and understanding your agency’s finances. This year we will be joined by leading experts in the field like CAPLAW Executive Director and General Counsel, Allison Ma’luf.
Whether you are a seasoned Board Member or only recently took on the role of sitting on a community action board, you will find this 1.5 day training engaging and informative.
Funding Opportunities
Does your agency operate programs and services which impact the health and well-being of your community? Do you know a researcher who, with research funding support, could conduct robust program evaluation on your community-based health initiatives? If so, this funding opportunity might be for you. Check out the "Evidence for Action: Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health" funding opportunity. 

Community action agencies serve the entire community and often work with survivors of domestic violence. Increase your agency's capacity to meet domestic violence-specific needs through one of these funding opportunities. 

Calling all visionary leaders! The Golden Leaf foundation is accepting applications to facilitate job creation in rural and economically distressed areas. Agencies adept at leveraging funds and demonstrating strong partnerships with local employers may be a good fit for this opportunity.

National News
2020 Census: Are You Ready?

Have you already assigned one of your staff members to be on top of the census campaign Community Action Partnership is doing? If not, make sure to do it quick because the 2020 census is right around the corner!

"Community Action Partnership is part of the  Census Counts  campaign, which involves more than 15 national organizations and dozens of community partners working together to make sure that the 2020 Census is fair and accurate. The Partnership is the lead representative for the low-income “hard-to count” population." Learn more about what you can do to make the census this year as accurate as possible.
Mark Your Calendar
March
18-20 | NC Head Start Association Conference, Winston-Salem

April

May
12 | ROMA Pre-Conference , Wilmington, NC
12-15 | NCCAA Conference, Wilmington, NC
16-17 | NCCAA Board Summit , Wilmington, NC

July

August
26-28 | National CAP Conference , Seattle, WA

September

October

November

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