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| Community Action Agency was incorporated in 1967 as part of the national response to President Johnson’s 1965 “War in Poverty”. Comprised of seven programs with over 270 employees, our efforts are accomplished through unique programs that are designed to meet a wide range of needs, including: |
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| Child Care Information Services: The child care resource and referral program serves parents and child care providers in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. We provide a list of resources for parents seeking child care in their area, and information on how to choose the right child care provider. We also assist migrant farm-workers pay for child so they can avoid having to take their children into the fields or leave them unsupervised at home or labor camp. In addition, the program offers a variety of training opportunities to help child care providers increase their knowledge of child development and business skills. |
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| Community Action Drug Prevention Network: This program's mission is to reduce the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in youth and adults over time. CADPN collaborates with a coalition of non-profit agencies, government organizations, law enforcement, city, county and community members to help prevent and reduce alcohol, tobacco and drug use among youth and adults, primarily in the Salem and Keizer communities of Marion/Polk County. Through the collaborated efforts of these multiple sectors of the community, leadership and education are provided through a number of activities: helping businesses develop comprehensive drug free workplace policies and procedures; empowering youth to become advocates for a drug free community through Youth Councils and Teen Action Teams at local high schools; reducing youth access to tobacco through the SToMP campaign that rewards store clerks for checking ID before selling tobacco to underage youth; educating and training establishments that sell alcohol to establish better procedures to decline sales of alcohol to minors through the CERV taskforce; and leveraging support for; the POWER after school program in 12 middle schools, the No-Meth Not in Our Neighborhood program events and Salem Keizer Together Executive committee in educating the community on underage drinking and prescription dug abuse. |
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| Community Action Head Start: Provides 3-5 year olds with preschool and support services to over 800 families at 17 classroom sites located throughout Marion and Polk Counties. Our Goal is to build on the assets of the family– from developing a life-long love for learning to meeting the social, medical and mental health needs of the family. All of our sites strive to provide the richest learning environment possible while creating a structure that is also supportive and welcoming to parents. Through a full spectrum of services, Head Start promotes the health and well being of the child and family. |
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| Community Resource Program: Provides a variety of services designed to help low-income and homeless persons achieve stable housing and increase their self-sufficiency. Our Family Resource Centers offer emergency financial assistance, information and referral, classes, support groups, and social activities tailored to meet the needs of our clients' respective communities. Centers are located in Dallas, Stayton, and Woodburn. Our Housing Services provide assistance that is designed to create stable housing, including: ARCHES — a centralized rental assistance, case management, housing placement, and drop-in day shelter for people who are homeless. R.E.N.T. — a tenant education program designed to assist individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness learn the skills necessary to be successful tenants. Tenant Based Assistance Program in Polk County — provides rental assistance to very low-income families for a twelve-month period. City of Salem and Marion County Tenant-Based Assistance — provides rental assistance and case management services for a twelve-month period to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Housing Stabilization Program — provides case management and financial assistance to homeless families and families at risk of becoming homeless. |
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| Energy Services Program: This program operates LIEAP (Low-Income Energy Assistance Program) and other bill payment assistance programs to assist households with their home heating needs. The Energy Smart and Residential Energy Assistance Challenge (REACH) programs include energy education and case management as components of self-sufficiency demonstration projects. The program also provides Weatherization assistance to help lower the energy usage of low-income households through home insulation. Weatherization services may include health and safety measures, as well as energy education. |
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| Home Youth and Resource Center: A combined day shelter and drop-in center for non-adjudicated homeless and at-high-risk youth. HYRC provides food (lunch, dinner, and snacks), showers, laundry facilities, clothing, hygiene items, phone, individual assistance, GED programs (in conjunction with The Downtown Learning Center), a place to hang out, computer access, TV, support groups, English as a Second Language services, Lifeskills groups, a young womens' support group and help with employment search. |
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| Nutrition First: This USDA food program provides monthly cash payments to 600 home child care providers, to partially reimburse them for the healthy meals and snacks they serve to the 5,900 children in their care. We serve providers in Marion, Polk, Yamhill, Linn, Benton, Tillamook, and Lincoln counties. Our multi-lingual staff visit providers in their homes several times per year to provide nutrition information and resources, as well as to verify compliance issues. We offer additional workshops throughout the year. |
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