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JLHCA, Inc. 082 Planning Process Narrative (continued) or hot nutritious meals from area soup kitchens that are referred from our agency. We maintain a close relationship with these groups to ensure that no one goes hungry and to keep abreast of any new services that may become available. There are no set agency wide methods used to operate the emergency food programs. Each food distribution program dictates the process that it will use according to their policies and procedures and/or mandates from the funding source. Intakes are completed on all of the clients who come into the agency 8. Describe how your agency will coordinate the provision of employment and training activities with entities providing activities through statewide and local workforce investment systems under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The agency is a Charter Member of the Job Link Centers in both Johnston and Lee Counties which is now known as NC Works Career Centers. Referrals are made to agencies in our service area for employment and training programs. We also offer Job - Readiness workshops to our casemanagement participants. We work with Triangle South Workforce Development in Lee and Harnett County. Staff from our agency as well as from other Human Services agencies serves on each other's Boards and Policy Advisory Councils to ensure that our counselors are well-informed on the availability of services that are beneficial to our clients. We use referral forms to speed-up the delivery of service and to avoid duplication of services. The Executive Director and the CSBG Director serve on the Smithfield -Selma Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee. This affords the agency an opportunity to be in on the planning stage of any business prospects that may be coming to or leaving our area that could have a positive or potentially negative impact on low-income people. The CSBG Policy Advisory Council includes representatives to the Board of Directors which is a Tri -parte board. Representatives from the NC Works Career Center and various organizations that work with individuals seeking employment share their expertise and any job opportunities. Programming concerning the availability of jobs is vital to the successful attainment of the goal of finding employment. 9. Describe how your agency will ensure coordination with the emergency energy crisis intervention program under title XXVI (relating to low-income home energy assistance). The Department of Social Services and other human services refer low-income people to our agency for emergency assistance when they do meet their criteria. These service requests include utility payment assistance and other crisis aid for needy persons outside LIHEAP/CIP when they no longer have funds available. Social Services' Emergency Assistance/Crisis Programs have fairly restrictive guidelines. Their emergency assistance programs are structured to meet crisis needs within a 24 hour time frame and for a certain household type; therefore their available funds are depleted very quickly and many households are left without services because they don't meet the guidelines. We coordinate our resources to try to ensure that those individuals who are in crisis receive needed help, if when are available. By using this strategy, we can assist more low-income people as they fight to keep the most basic of needs, ex. utility payments, rental assistance, medicine, food, etc. The agency continues to seek private donations of cash, goods, and volunteer services, that is then made available to low-income people in the area. As contractors, JLHCA operate the Harnett County Department of Social Services' Low -Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) programs. Three staff members were hired to operate the program in the Harnett County offices of the agency to meet emergency home heating needs. The program is a heating/cooling program and funds are disbursed only when weather conditions become extreme. The determination to release funds is made by the Department of Social Services Director. The JLHCA Weatherization Program and the HARRP (Heating Assistance Repair Replacement Program) provides assistance to eligible individuals/ families with their energy conservation needs. One of the primary goals of this program is to create a safe, healthy environment in which low income people live. Conserving energy saves on Fiscal Year 2016-17 Community Services Block Grant Application Page 16 of 33