Agenda - 1-5-15 Reg. Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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033 Johnston - Lee -Hamett Community Action, Inc. Planning Process Narrative (continued) Realignment and Closure (BRAC), local churches and other groups that work primarily with youth to identify problems and seek solutions. Other efforts include Project Safe Neighborhoods /City of Sanford Library Board of Lee County, NC, Harnett County Cooperative Extension, 4 -H, Harnett County Workforce Development/JobLink/IA Youth Program and the Adolescents Pregnancy Prevention Program. The CSBG Director is the chairman of Johnston County Citizens Association which sponsors fund raising activities annually to provide six (6) scholarships for local high school seniors. The Executive Director is the chairperson for the Tribute to Excellence Banquet which is the primary fundraiser for these scholarship funds. The goal of this program is to help meet the educational needs of youth by: • Providing preparation for post - secondary educational opportunities; • Providing linkages between academic and occupational leaming; • Provide scholarship funds to assist with needs associated with attending an institution of higher teaming. 11. Describe activities that your agency has undertaken or plans to undertake to establish a pool of unrestricted funds to further the agency's mission and reduce dependency on government funding. Funds to support services for low- income persons: We seek funding from all segments of the community to support services for low- income people. Some private citizens contribute funds to provide emergency assistance to low - income persons. Grants from the Emergency Food and Shelter Programs, Foundations, United Way, local churches and area ministries have also been used to provide funds to meet the needs of low- income persons. These funds are used to prevent utility disconnections, evictions, rental deposits, purchase medications; provide housing assistance to homeless persons and other needs that low - income people are experiencing. b. Funds to support the overall agency - Some activities our agency has undertaken to build a pool of unrestricted fund are the building and renovating of homes through the agency's Economic Development Program. We also bid on jobs across the state that allow the agency to establish a pool of unrestricted funds in order to guarantee the agency can stay true to its mission without being wholly dependent on government funds. We seek other funding streams from private foundations as a way to secure unrestricted funds. 12. Describe your agency's method for informing custodial parents in single - parent families that participate in CSBG programming about the availability of child support services. In addition, describe your method for referring eligible parents to the child support office[s]. * All participants including custodial parents in single -parent households are asked whether or not they are receiving child support. They are told about the availability and advisability of seeking assistance through the local child support office. They are informed about any services they may be eligible for and contact information during the intake process. * When eligible participants come into the agency seeking services, they are given a referral form by the Successful Transitioning to Achieve Real Self- Sufficiency (STARS) Counselor that can be used for any purpose at any organization/agency. If they are not receiving child support and express an interest, they are referred to the local child support agency. * If the custodial parent/guardian has made arrangement with the non - custodial parent and is not interested in pursuing court- ordered child support or do not wish to involve the local child - support office, we do not try to intervene. In some instances, they receive more assistance directly from the non - custodial parent than they would if they involved the local child - support agency. They will not be denied services if they refuse to seek court-ordered child support. Fiscal Year 2015 -16 Community Services Block Grant Application Page 16 of 49