SCCAP Newsletter -- Spring 2012

South Carolina Community Action Partnership This Issue President’s Letter P. 1

Want To Learn More About Community Action? Visit These Sites:

Personnel and Upcoming Events P. 2 Bravo! P. 3 Success Story and Anti-Bully Workshop P. 4

SHARE Offices Open For Business! P. 5 Developing Your CAA’s Brand P. 6

www.capworks.org www.seacaa.org www.scacap.org www.govoepp.state.sc.us/oeo.htm

Youth Leadership P. 6 & 7 Success Story & Membership Info P. 8

www.communityactionpartnership.com

www.virtualcap.org www.nascsp.org

SCCAP Officers

A Word from the President Dear South Carolina Community Action Partnership Members and Partners,

Mary Gossett SCCAP President

I thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President for the South Carolina Community Action Partnership and for the support that I am receiving. Your “helping hands” surround me.

Fredrica M. Brailsford 1st Vice President of Membership

To the committed South Carolina Community Action Partnership (SCCAP), Community Action staff, and volunteers, this Newsletter is dedicated to you.

Ross Bowens 2nd Vice President of Fundraising Reba Hough-Martin 3rd Vice President of Programs

Ours is a progressive mission and we are a great influence on our state. Community Action serves as a symbol of hope for incomeeligible families and individuals, as they work toward selfsufficiency. And, from time to time, it is important that we review our achievements and share with others our success.

Laurey Carpenter Secretary

Thank you for keeping the Community Action Promise, Helping People, Changing Lives.

Emily Mitchell Treasurer

Until next time,

Walter Fleming Advisor

Mary Gossett SCCAPA President

Chelsi Howard Newsletter Editor

Mary Gossett

WELCOME! Carolina Community Actions, Inc. would like to welcome the following new employees who serve Community Action as Intake Specialists: Adia Gibbs Dwahza Jackson Georgia Thomas Charleston County Human Services Commission welcomes the following employees to the agency: Debra Hunter -- Asset Building Administrative Assistant Tamika Edmund -- Asset Building Case Manager Cristina Gambrell -- Outreach Intake Processor Yolonda June -- Weatherization Data Entry Specialist David Campbell -- Weatherization HVAC Specialist

Farewell!

Jean Mullinax, LIHEAP Director for Piedmont Community Actions, Inc. retired February 15, 2012 after 30 years of faithful service to the Spartanburg and Cherokee County communities. During her tenure, Jean worked in the transportation department and the Senior Housing communities in Inman and Woodruff, SC. On Friday, February 17th, Cynthia Lounds, the Director of Community Economic Development, and the staff honored Jean with a “retirement party”. The party, held at the Howard Street office, took a look back at the change in fashion and music during Jean’s years of service.

Tributes consisted of a fashion show, a serenade by a talented colleague, warm thoughts of appreciation from colleagues, and a catered Southern-cooked meal. Jean’s family, son and grandsons; friends, and other guest were present to help Jean enjoy this occasion. The Executive Director/CEO, Dr. Willie Ross, honored Jean with a clock for her dedicated years to the agency. Bertie McKie and Sandra Grant, Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) staff, presented Jean with a letter from OEO Director, Ken McManus, acknowledging her retirement. A tearful Jean expressed her appreciation for a thoughtful send-off. She will miss assisting customers, especially the elderly.

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, and may good luck pursue you each morning and night. --Irish Blessing

SOLD Charleston County Human Services Commission recently sold a home through its program for first-time homebuyers. The Downtown Charleston home (valued at $215,000) was sold for $125,000 after subsidies to a restaurant employee who paid less than $1,000 for his down payment. This program provides homeownership opportunities to low and moderate-income families and individuals. This opportunity was provided through partnerships with Lowcountry Housing Trust and the City of Charleston’s Office of Housing and Community Development.

Upcoming Events Third Annual Male Involvement Conference "Role Models for a Bright Future" May 31– June 2, 2012 Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29577 Telephone: (843) 918-5000 Fax:(843) 918-5120 2

BRAVO! Piedmont Community Actions’ Dreamgirl Takes 1st Place On Wednesday, December 21st, Kiera Moore, a third year participant in the Youth Leadership Program won the 2011 Youth Oratorical Forum during the annual banquet sponsored by the South Carolina Association of Community Actions Partnerships, Inc. Competing against seven (7) students from the across the state, she brought home the top honor and a $300 first prize with her essay entitled “The Power of Dreams”. The Oratorical Contest event was held at the Double Tree Hotel, Columbia, SC. Ms. Moore, a sophomore at Spartanburg High School, also represents Piedmont Community Actions on the South Carolina State Association’s Youth Council through service as Vice President. She is the daughter of Ms. Kimberly Turner.

Youth Leadership Grad Excels in Higher Education James S Bonds, III, a former Youth Leadership Program (YLP) participant at Piedmont Community Actions, has been named to the University of South Carolina’s President’s Honor List for the 2011 fall semester. Instituted in 1973, this award is the highest semester honors ranking reserved for those full-time undergraduate students who have earned a GPA of 4.0. James, a freshman who attends the Columbia campus, participated in our 2007 YLP held at Whitlock Junior High School, here in Spartanburg. James is the son of James Jr. and Vera Bonds of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The staff at Piedmont Community Actions is delighted to have had James as a Youth Leadership participant.

Congratulations to These Darlington Standouts!

Betty Rutherford, winner of the South Carolina Community Action Partnership’s 2011 Charles H. Turner Career Development Award and Scholarship. This award and scholarship honors someone working in Community Action who has contributed greatly and is pursuing higher education.

Rechelle Jones, recipient of the South Carolina Community Action Partnership’s 2011 Administrator of the Year Award. This award recognizes a program administrator who mobilizes community resources, collaborates with other organizations and impacts their community and agency through extraordinary leadership.

The Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service presented Lillie M. Evans with a Certificate of Appreciation for 20 years of service and Rosa R. McLeod for 30 years of service with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

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Carolina Community Actions: Putting People to Work!

M.J. made office visit to discuss her need for training. She was unemployed and has no source of income. She stated that she had worked in a nursing home before but did not have certification at this time. She stated that she was behind in bills but was confident that she could get employed if she had her certification. M.J. was very discouraged and really needed to have employment of any kind at this point. She was enrolled in the Family Assessment program by a case manager. The case manager and Ms. J. established goals and a case management plan was formulated. A pre-employment training was also conducted by case manager to help Ms. J. with her continued job search. Ms. J. enrolled in Nursing Assistant training at Columbia Health Care and completed training. She also gained employment with Nurses Are Us before she completed training. She was working part-time at a pay rate of $8.50 per hour. Ms. J. was able to take the test for Certification. She passed the test and is now a certified nursing assistant at Fairfield Nursing Home. She is working full-time at a pay rate of $12.69 per hour and has achieved self sufficiency. Ms. J. stated during recent office visit that Carolina Community Actions had been so instrumental in changing her life because of the assistance and the encouragement she received at a very difficult time in her life.

No Bullies Allowed in Charleston!

When the Youth Enrichment and Education (YEE) program’s staff at Charleston County Human Services Commission (CCHSC) thought to do a one-time workshop on bullying prevention, no one could have anticipated the impact it would have on the community and the kids who attended. April Lowe, the agency’s Ameri*Corps VISTA member, contacted local organizations but none were able to facilitate a workshop on bullying that encompassed all the issues facing young people today. Ms. Lowe’s solution was to create and compile evidenced-based, age-appropriate material for grades K-12 that addressed the real-world concerns that children deal with daily.

The first workshop was held after school at a small public library next door to the agency and was attended by about 16 teens. They learned how to identify bullying, how to prevent bullying and how to stop it in its tracks. Through role -playing, videos and group discussions, they also learned about cyber-bullying and the emotional toll that bullying can have on the perpetrator and the victim. News of the event spread like wildfire and the agency was soon getting calls to do the workshop in community centers, afterschool programs and youth organizations around the Lowcountry. Upon creating and evaluating the curriculum, Ms. Lowe taught it to the YEE staff and they have performed the workshop with 21 st Century afterschool programs, the City of North Charleston’s Recreation Department, Charleston County School District, Girl Scouts of America and the Charleston County Public Library system.

Because of the success of this workshop, the YEE department is creating other character education workshops to be done in a similar context.

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SHARE Holds Open House in Oconee, Pickens and Anderson Counties Oconee County Open House The Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources Inc. (SHARE) Oconee County office had Open House on June 24, 2011. Located at 708 E. Main Street, Seneca, attendees included local businesses, partner agencies, clients, volunteers, vendors and community supporters. Ms. Cathy Stowers, SHARE‘s Oconee County office coordinator welcomed, thanked and commented on the new SHARE location. Ms. Stowers noted one of the main objectives of the Open House is to increase communication with community residents. “Many times we have verbal contact with people every day and this (open house) was a great way to open the doors of communication” she said. SHARE President/CEO Dr. Willis Crosby, Jr. noted that the Oconee County office is “poised to continue and increase services to the community.”

Ms. Stowers said “Clients were able to meet the employees of the SHARE organization while SHARE employees were able to meet the vendors of the different companies that provide our clients with utility assistance.

We were delighted to have local officials such as Mr. Harry Hamilton who has done so much for the community and education system in the Oconee County area.

Pickens County Open House On July 20, 2011 SHARE’s Pickens County office held Open House designed to highlight programs, services, and remind the community and its leaders of SHARE’s importance. Ms. Sonya Smith, SHARE’s Pickens County office coordinator, said “the Open House was designed as a two part breakfast/ lunch drop in. One of the focuses of this year’s Open House was Celebrating Success. We were fortunate to be joined by many of SHARE’s client’s to include: Shirley Henderson, completing the LADDER II program which allowed her to obtain needed skills.

Anderson County Open House Anderson County’s SHARE office celebrated its new location and opened its doors to the community on August 5, 2011. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Mayor Terence Roberts welcomed attendees and stated that SHARE serves as a beacon of light in the Anderson community and provides short term assistance to families, seniors and disabled individuals. Mayor Roberts also noted that he was glad to have SHARE in the community and that the new office would allow SHARE to serve more persons in need. Reverend Johnny Goldsmith, pastor of King David Baptist Church gave a prayer of blessing and noted that SHARE provided a needed service to those that were having trouble making ends meet.

Dianne Pressley, Anderson office coordinator, said that the old office on East River Street was too small for the growing programs offered by SHARE. Home weatherization services, and a program that helps residents pay rent, mortgage, and utility bills had been added and had the staff doubling up.

“All three Open House events were a great success” said Dr. Willis Crosby Jr. “and SHARE staff and volunteers in all three locations are to be commended for their work I especially want to thank Cathy Stowers, Sonya Smith and Diane Pressley for their hard work and dedication.”

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7 Quick & Easy Ways to Brand Your Agency Make your CAA’s corporate identity known in your community with these painless steps!

Hop on the social networking bandwagon. Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets are FREE and easy to use. Just search for their tutorials online if you need help or ask any young person age 25 or younger as many young people learn about social media in school. Assuming your agency has a website or blog, make sure it’s easy to use and is updated regularly.

Lend Your Company’s Time, Resources & Energy to Local Non-Profits, Charities, Fundraising Events and Community Groups. Staff volunteering in large numbers can leave an awesome impression on the community. Consider letting other organizations use your conference room for meetings. Facilitating Community Action Poverty Simulations is also a great way to create positive publicity while creating attention to poverty issues.

Collaborate with Established Businesses and Individuals to Increase Brand Awareness Draft a short, concise version of your mission statement, programs/services, key accomplishments, and your short- and long-term goals. This document will be your “elevator pitch”, providing the public, media and businesses you would like to collaborate with a clear image of what you bring to the table.

Manage Your Marketing Material. The agency should have visual consistency in regards to their brand, colors, logos, name, abbreviations, font. Once the visuals are established, all agency items should be covered in them (brochures, websites, documents, t-shirts, vehicles, letterhead, business cards, etc.).

Communicate Frequently and Consistently. If your agency makes phone calls or sends out a newsletter/ mailing, it should be done about the same time every week/month/quarter/year so your brand consumers will come to expect it. Software like Constant Contact can make electronic marketing a snap!

Educate Stakeholders First. Ensure that employees, volunteers, partners, vendors and board members understand your programs and can communicate (however cursory) your mission.

Youth Leadership Youth Leadership Program Participants, parents and staff in Carolina Community Actions’ Youth Leadership Program are standing in front of the resting place for Dr. and Mrs. King at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. The children and parents are from Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Union and York counties.

A Youth Leadership Recognition Banquet for Carolina Community Actions, Inc. was held at Essie’s in Rock Hill, SC on December 19, 2012. Bertie McKie, Senior Manager for the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, was the keynote speaker. She engaged participants in educational activities which they found to be challenging and enjoyable. Ms. Mckie also gave participants encouraging and aspiring words of wisdom. The parents of participants, board members, presenters, and guest from the Office of Economic Opportunity also attended the banquet, which was followed by a trip to the Festivals of Lights display.

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Leroy Gilliard, Board President Jessica McMoore, Executive Director

2700 Middleburg Drive. Suite 213 Columbia, South Carolina 29204 Phone: 803-771-9404 Fax: 803-771-9619 E-mail: sccapa@bellsouth.net Web Site: www.SCACAP.org

3rd Annual Statewide Youth Leadership Oratorical Forum & Banquet A Huge Success Over 150 Community Action Youth, Counselors, Community Leaders, and Business Leaders came together for the South Carolina Association of Community Action Partnerships’ (SCACAP) 3 nd Annual Statewide Youth Leadership Oratorical Forum and Banquet which was held on December 21, 2011 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 2100 Bush River Road, in Columbia, SC. The time of this event was 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The theme for this year’s Oratorical was “Speaking Out Loud”. The purpose of the banquet was to empower youth through strengthening their communicative and emotional skills, as well as to increase self-confidence through public speaking. This Oratorical Forum is also the prerequisite for the launching of our Statewide Youth Leadership Debate Team.

The List of the Winners: Kiera Moore - Winner, Awarded $300.00, Piedmont Community Action Agency, Spartanburg, SC Garrick King – 1st Winner, Awarded $200.00, OCAB Community Action Agency, Orangeburg, SC Judah Easley – 2nd Winner, Awarded $100.00, GLEAMNS Human Resource, Greenwood, SC The students that participated in the Oratorical Contest were: Kayarnasia Brown, Charleston County HSC, Jarvis Gee, Darlington County, Eirron Timmons, Pee Dee Community Action, Nigeria Davis, SHARE, and Dorian Stancil, Waccamaw EOC. Each participate receive a $25.00 gift card, a certificate for participation, and a tote bag with valuable school supplies inside.

Carolina Community Actions Averts Crisis Carolina Community Actions, Incorporated’s Weatherization staff completed weatherization repairs on a 77 -year-old widow’s home in York County. As part of the process, the staff found she had a gas stove that was not vented to the outside, thus creating a carbon monoxide hazard. The staff vented the stove to the outside and installed a carbon monoxide detector and smoke detector. New weather strips and door sweeps were then installed as well as a vapor barrier in her crawl space and insulation in her attic. Upon further inspection it was discovered that her duct work was non-insulated, leaking and falling apart. Staff replaced this with insulated duct work which cut her heating and air conditioning bills tremendously, and made her home more energy efficient. She was very pleased with the process and the staff was pleased that they could help make her home more safe and energy efficient.

Did You Know? There are more than 1,100 Community Action Agencies across the country that cover 96 percent of the nation’s counties. The majority of CAA program participants are extremely poor, with gross annual incomes at $9,735 for a family of three (the average family size for the client population). Community Action Agencies attack poverty on a local level by addressing the root causes of poverty specific to the counties each agency serves. This allows the programs and services to be targeted to clients’ unique and individualized needs.

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JOIN SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TODAY!      

The South Carolina Community Action Partnership Association provides support for and promotes awareness of agency programs.

Your membership will provide the opportunity for education and training to provide quality services to disadvantaged families and individuals.

Your gift to the membership program will help ensure the success and continuation for the mission of the South Carolina Community Action Partnerships.

Opportunities for staff training, scholarships/awards, and etc.

Receive South Carolina Community Action Partnership Newsletter.

Access to the Members Only section on the Association website.

Membership Fee Structure Executive Directors Managers Staff Friends & Board Members Volunteers Affiliate Members Agency Dues

$50 $25 $10 $5 $3 $2 $400

Your membership is vitally needed and we appreciate your contribution.

Please remit check and roster payable to SCCAP, C/o S.C. Association of Community Action Partnerships, 2700 Middleburg Drive, Suite 213, Columbia, SC 29204. Telephone: 803.771.9404, Email: sccapa@bellsouth.net, Website: www.scacap.org. Fredrica M. Brailsford, Membership Chair, Telephone: 803.775.4354, ext. 125 Email: fbrailsford@wcai.org.

South Carolina Community Action Partnership 2700 Middleburg Dr, Suite 213 Columbia, SC 29204 Phone: 803-771-9404 Fax: 803-771-9619 www.scacap.org

About the SCCAP newsletter...

To find your agency’s accomplishments in the Fall 2012 newsletter, please e-mail your Microsoft Wordformatted submission to choward@cchscom.com no later than Friday, October 20th. We’re looking for highlights from your agency regarding policy changes, uses of new technology, notable achievements, Photos, Information on how your agency is using new technology, memorials, best practices, personnel announcements, innovative ways your agency is administering LIHEAP, CSBG and Weatherization programs, success stories, articles of interest, special events, online resources, etc. Please contact Chelsi Howard at choward@cchscom.com or 843-724-6760 ext. 235 with questions or suggestions.

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