Back to the home page

COCAA ‘gives back’ during Community Action Month

    Central Oklahoma Community Action Agency (COCAA) gave back to the cities in its service area as a part of its Community Action Month observance by volunteering to work for other non-profit and community organizations.

    Over 400 hours of volunteer labor were donated by COCAA staff during “Community Action Gives Back Day,” according to Janelle Stafford, Executive Director.

    In many cases, staff members volunteered to work for community partners.

•   COCAA’s headquarters staff worked in the garden of a nearby church.

•   In Stillwater, a big group worked on a Habitat for Humanity house that was under construction.

•   A group from Shawnee gave manicures and facials to nursing home residents. Others put together picnic tables for a city park.

•   Others worked in public schools, a battered women’s shelter, a nutrition center, and Special Olympics.

    “People who gave their time seemed to enjoy the opportunity to share time with other organizations in their community,” Stafford said.

    Each group in the local community decided where they wanted to work, Stafford explained.

    The most unusual volunteer experience occurred for a group flying to a Head Start meeting in Orlando. They volunteered to help the flight attendants by picking up trash and passing out pillows and blankets to other passengers on the plane.

    All of the people on that flight, wherever they may be from, will  know more about Community Action, Stafford noted.

    “It really felt good,” Stafford said about the event. She plans to continue the event next year.

Great Plains sponsors board training at Quartz Mountain

    Great Plains Improvement Foundation in Lawton focused on professional development during Community Action Month with training for both board members and staff.

    Board training was held May 4-5 at Quartz Mountain Resort and featured Oklahoma Department of Commerce attorney Don Hackler. He focused on responsibilities of the board and reminded members of open meeting requirements.

    He also discussed a variety of legal issues including conflict of interest, nepotism, techniques to minimize liability, and the differing roles of the board and the executive director.

    “The Board members were really impressed,” Executive Director Odell Gunter said. The program generated a lot of questions, he added.

    The board training also featured presentations by staff members on nearly a dozen programs operated by Great Plains.

    A day-long staff training program was held May 16 in the Comanche County Memorial Hospital Auditorium.

    Roy Hollins from Great Plains Technology Center spoke on “Office Safety” while Maretta Toler from OSU Extension discussed financial management issues.

    Other speakers offered information on personnel policies, prepaid legal insurance, group health

coverage, retirement plan, workers’ compensation and the Relay for Life programs.

    Other Community Action Month activities included a banquet on May 11 during which Samuel H. Rhodes, Jr. received the first-ever Great Plains Improvement Foundation’s Achievement Award. Rhodes, who was living in a homeless shelter, is now a successful business owner. State Representative Loyd Benson was the featured speaker at the banquet.

    Nearly a dozen volunteers received plaques and a like number of businesses were presented framed certificates recognizing their support of Great Plains.

News briefs...

    Little Dixie Community Action Agency now has a web site on the Internet at: http://www.littledixie.org.

-----

    Joan Williams, Chairperson of the Deep Fork Community Action Foundation, was named the 2000 Community Hero, an award sponsored by the Henryetta Free-Lance newspaper.

-----

    Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma/Canadian Counties began  a seven-week training program in May for people interested in operating a business, The Daily Oklahoman reports. Agency professionals are providing one-on-one consultation on marketing, loan packaging, tax information and other topics.

-----

    Therol Nell, Mayor of Hollis, signed a proclamation designating May as Community Action Month, according to the Hollis News. The article noted Southwest Oklahoma Community Action is committed to helping people help themselves.

-----

    Brian Drywater, Weatherization Coordinator for Cookson Hills Community Action, has earned an electrical mechanics diploma from Vatterott College in Tulsa. He attended night classes for 13 months while continuing to work fulltime in the 3-county service area.

PRISM training set for June 19

    A training program for Head Start directors and management team members on the Program Review Instrument for Systems Monitoring (PRISM) is scheduled for June 19.

    Sherrie Rudick from the American Institute for Research will be the featured speaker. The training will be held at Coles Garden, 1415 N.E. 63rd St. in Oklahoma City from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

    Space is limited to 50 persons. Contact the OKACAA Head Start office at 405-524-4124 to register or for additional information.

Distribution begins on new Head Start brochure

    A new Oklahoma Head Start brochure has been printed and is now being distributed.

    Copies were distributed to Head Start directors at their meeting last month. Ten thousand copies of the brochure were printed.

    The brochure is designed to provide basic information to the general public. It begins with a series of questions and answers:

•   What is Head Start/Early Head Start?

•   Who is Eligible for Head Start?

•   How is Quality Assured in Head Start Programs?

    The brochure then goes on to describe areas of emphasis in the Head Start program.

    The brochure describes how school readiness is a goal of Head Start as children participate in developmentally appropriate activities to help them grow mentally, socially, emotionally and physically.

    The brochure points out how each child receives thorough medical and dental examinations and necessary treatment.

    It points out that the Head Start mission is to provide an inclusive atmosphere for children with disabilties and is required to make at least 10 percent of its enrollment available to children with disabilities.

    The role of family and community partnerships are described.

    The brochure also includes a list of of Head Start programs and American Indian Tribe programs.

    To obtain copies of the brochure, contact the OKACAA Head Start office at 405-524-4124.

DHS Director Howard Hendrick enthusiastic      Oklahoma City

Rural Housing Incentive Study Task Force reports

    The Rural Housing Incentive Study Task Force’s report calls for legislative action and coordination efforts to enhance the development of new, decent, and affordable housing in Oklahoma.

    Legislative actions suggested by the task force:

•   Find a permanent source for significant funding for the Housing Trust Fund

•   Develop targeted programs for housing in rural areas. Suggestions included a state tax credit for rural housing developers; tax credits to employers that participate in down payment programs; developing incentives for infill housing developments in rural towns; and use of enterprise zones incentives to build housing.

•   Increase the dollars and staff who would be involved in proactive housing development in rural communities.

•   Update definitions of various types of alternative housing structures which could then be used by municipalities to modernize their municipal codes, if necessary.

    Among the recommendations related to coordination between housing providers and developers:

•   Conduct a 77 county market analysis/state housing needs assessment. This information should be provided to banks, municipalities, developers and other revelent parties.

•   Encourage municipalities to modernize zoning codes to allow the use of alternative housing methods.

•   Increase homebuyer education programs and awareness.

    The task force also made a series of technical assistance recommendations:

•   Create a proactive housing development program to assist rural municipalities in developing housing. Increase funding and staff to entities involved in rural housing.

•   Simplify the application process for federal housing programs administered by state agencies.

•   Encourage existing housing programs to focus on infill housing.

    The complete task force report can be found on the Internet at: http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/senate/welcome.html. Click on “Reports & Publications” in the left menu, then click on “Issue Papers”. Scroll down to “Housing.”

Home repair program wins state award

    The Route 66 Group Workcamp home repair project for low-income and elderly citizens in Craig County received the top award at the Quality Oklahoma Team Day sponsored by the Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management.

    Accepting the Premier Award at the State Capitol last month were Jean Cooper of Northeast Oklahoma Community Action, Cheryl Crawford from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, and Joel Fay from Group Workcamps.

    The Colorado faith-based organization Group Workcamp brought over 400 teenagers and adult sponsors from 14 states to Vinita last July to repair about 70 homes. The teenagers replaced roofs and siding, built wheel chair ramps, painted homes, and made other repairs.

    This is the third award won for the project. The Workcamp also received a DHS 2000 Quality Award and a DHS Creating Partnerships for Oklahoma Families Award.\

Mark Your Calendar

‘2001 - a housing odyssey’

August 13-16, 2001

Biltmore Hotel

Sponsored by:

Oklahoma Weatherizationand

Housing Advisory

Council

For information,

call: 405-524-4124

NACAA releases initial results from survey on Faith-Based Organizations

   Community Action Agencies (CAAs) partner with churches, synagogues, religion affiliated charities, and other religious organizations in a variety of ways that address a range of community needs, according to a national survey conducted by the National Association of Community Action Agencies that was released last month.
    The survey indicates that the nature of partnerships between CAAs and faith-based organizations (FBOs) varies. More than 97 percent of responding CAAs report cross-referral of clients with FBOs. Forty percent contract with FBOs to deliver services, and 43.2 percent operate projects jointly with FBOs. Sixty-three percent of CAAs get volunteers from FBOs, and the majority of these volunteers assist with immediate needs such as food, clothing, shelter, utility payments, and holiday donations.

    Survey findings also illustrate that CAAs have relationships with various types of FBOs. Eighty-seven percent work with non-profit, faith-based affiliated organizations; 73.7 percent work with places of worship; and 64.2 percent work with interfaith alliances or ministerial associations.
    Responding CAAs believe that government policies addressing FBOs should encourage collaboration and community building rather than competition and divisiveness. Specific recommendations include:

       ·        FBOs should be held to the same program guidelines and standards of accountability as secular grantees.

·       New programs should not create fragmentation and duplication of services.

·     Government should redirect its efforts to increasing overall funding for human services programs to include new providers, rather than encourage a redesign of the service delivery system.

    The survey results represent responses from 285 CAAs, about a 30 percent return rate.

Planner seeks funding for agency programs

    Sandra Wardell is the new program planner at Great Plains Improvement Foundation and first on her list of project is to seek a First Start grant to help a rural child care center that wants to expand its program to serve low-income families.

    She has been meeting with program directors to assess their needs.

    “They have to paint a picture. It’s their project,” she said. “I have to look at it through their eyes and understand their mission,” Wardell added.

    Wardell said she spends a great deal of time doing research. She looks for statistics to help prove a need for a program.

    It’s like a puzzle. Wardell said she has to put all the pieces together so there is a package to submit to funders.

    Wardell said the Internet is a primary tool for searching for funding sources.

Great Plains launches job coaching program

    Great Plains Improvement Foundation is starting a new jobs coaching program to help place developmentally disabled adults in jobs.

    “I’m the first one,” said Greg Elix as he prepared to begin work at the Great Plain’s office in Lawton. Elix said he will do janitorial type of work at the office.

    Trisha Jackson, Program Specialist for the Disabled Adults Job Coaching Program, said she will be going out and “beat the street” to find other employers to participate in the program.

    She has one grocery store lined up to employ one of the program participants and a couple of other prospects.

    “It’s an educational process to recruit employers for the program,” she said.

    Employers are asked to provide 20 - 30 hours of work weekly. They receive tax incentives for hiring employees through the program, Jackson explained.

    Elix said he is excited about starting this new job. “I’m going to like this,” he said.

    Jackson said the job coach’s role is to work with the employee during a transitional period. That may involve making sure the employee fully understand the job duties. It may also involve helping an employer take steps necessary to make a work area wheelchair accessible, if necessary.

    The job coach may work with the employee daily during the transitional period.

    “We’re there as long as needed,” she said. After that time period, the coach will check in with the employer weekly unless a problem develops.

    Individuals qualified for state waivered services are eligible to participate in the program, Jackson said. Great Plains is reimbursed for the job coaching services through the Department of Human Services, she added.

Job Corps student helps Great Plains with computer programming & web design

    Great Plains Improvement Foundation is getting help with computer programming and design of its web page from Treasurer Lake Job Corps Center.

    Jason Chapman, a student at the center, has spent about four weeks at Great Plains writing programs for the agency’s computers, entering data, and designing a web page.

“He’s doing an outstanding job for us,” said Odell Gunter, Executive Director.

    Chapman said he has been taking courses on computers and networking  through the vo-tech. He plans to enroll at Langston University this fall as a math major.

    He was introduced to Great Plains by his instructor, Claudine Lee.