December 2012

Community Action

450 Syndicate Street N Saint Paul, MN 55104

Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties

STRAIGHT TALK
A quarterly update to close friends of Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties

Dear Friend,

c Weve been busy this fall, building a new strategi plan with our Board of Directors and completing our community needs assessment. Were also very close to finishing up our Opportunity St. Paul s initiative for 2012 after many community dialogue and input. And finally, were very proud of our ance Head Start program for a tremendous perform in their Federal program audit. So it has been busy but its been good work. Although we live in some troubling economic times, were looking our toward the future with eyes open and aware of shortcomings and strengths. Enjoy these stories and please send an email to chightower@caprw.org or contact me at 651-603-5950 or with ideas or questions.

Clarence Hightower Executive Director

Sincerely,

STRAIGHT TALK
December 2012

ImpActful DecIsIons
The Board of Directors is in the process of working with staff on a 20132015 strategic plan. They started by reviewing our Mission, Vision and Values. These words guide our work. After considering our original charter, what has changed in the last few years and where we want to go in the future, the Board formally adopted the Mission, Vision and Values printed below. MISSION The mission of Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties is to reduce poverty and its impacts on people in Ramsey and Washington counties. VISION Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties envisions a society where the causes and consequences of poverty are abolished and where social justice, economic opportunity and basic human dignity is established for everyone. VALUES We value Strong community engagement Rich community diversity Partnerships and collaborations Stewardship Respect and caring for all

pArtIcIpAnt storY
In 2011, Vidette, a Certified Medical Assistant and single mother of four, found herself at a crossroads. She was unemployed, struggling to make ends meet and dealing with the threat of domestic violence. She and her children had just moved into a new apartment from a transitional housing program. As part of this program, Videttes rent was partially subsidized; however due to unemployment she struggled to come up with her share of the housing expenses. Even more discouraging was the fact that Videttes CMA license had expired and she didnt have the resources to pay for recertification. In June of 2011, Vidette enrolled in Project Success and she began to improve her situation. Community Action paid for Videttes CMA license and in September she was recertified through the American Association of Medical Assistants. Community Action also provided her support with transportation assistance, emergency energy assistance and referrals to other resources designed to address critical issues in her life. As a participant in Project Success, Vidette received assistance updating her resume, creating a cover letter and enhancing her job search and interview skills. In March 2012, she furthered her development by completing a Medical Office Job Training Program. Vidette is now employed fulltime as a Medical Assistant at a local health clinic, where she earns nearly $15 per hour.

progrAm news
Head Start Review Results We are enormously proud to announce that our Head Start program passed the very difficult Federal audit with a long list of strengths, no concerns and just two corrections which have already been addressed. Among the areas of strength particular to our program was the work we do in serving a diverse immigrant population speaking a total of 24 different languages. This includes having materials in multiple languages, the diversity of programming with up to 10 languages spoken in most of the classrooms, literature and art representing various cultures and bilingual bus monitors who support communication with parents when children are picked up. Congratulations to all the staff members who contributed to this successful audit.

AgencY news
2012 Community Needs Assessment Completed We just completed a broad, quantitative survey of low-income persons living in Ramsey and Washington counties. Here are some of the top findings from the report: 1 in 4 children and 1 in 3 residents of color live in poverty in Ramsey County 1 in 4 people indicated that getting and maintaining employment is the one thing that would help the most in meeting the needs of their household Two-thirds of residents report having Internet access in their homes, and nearly three-quarters said they or someone in their household has Internet access at the public library. Obviously there is much, much more in this rich report and we want to share it with you as a resource and as a picture of our community. Please visit www.caprw.org to view the entire report.

Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties 450 Syndicate Street N, Saint Paul, MN 55104 651-645-6445 caprw.org