COMMUNITY SERVICES

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: The Community Services Department's goals are aimed at the reduction of poverty, the revitalization of low-income communities, and the empowerment of low-income individuals and families to become self-sufficient.

PROGRAM HISTORY: The first and primary components started by SENCA in 1967 were Outreach and Community Development. The goal of Outreach is to ensure participation in program planning and design by low-income persons and public and private sector representatives. This goal is aimed at organizing and mobilizing local resources to fight poverty.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Community Service Department's program has grown tremendously since 1967. In addition to our increased knowledge of local resources and involvement in local community partnerships, SENCA has played an important role in the development and accessibility of many programs outside the agency.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES: Outreach, information, referral and advocacy have no economic guidelines and are available to all in need of these services.

CLOTHING ROOMS

Community Action Centers and Outreach Offices in Johnson and Pawnee counties  house clothing rooms.  Furniture items are received by the agency in the form of donations in each county. These donated items are provided to families in need at no charge, or sold to the general public at a nominal fee. The money received from the sale of these items is kept in the appropriate center fund to help defray the cost of daily operations and/or to help provide for families' needs that other funding sources might not cover.

EMERGENCY SERVICES

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: These services are available to provide basic needs and support services to families in crisis who are unable to provide for themselves. This may include, but is not limited to food, clothing, emergency shelter, rent and utility assistance, basic essentials, landlord-tenant mediation, and crisis intervention.

PROGRAM HISTORY: SENCA has strived to identify the causes and effects of poverty while working together with communities to overcome the obstacles to self-sufficiency. A heightened awareness of the growing problem of homelessness has lead SENCA to take a pro-active stand for homeless prevention. Increased efforts in the area of rent/mortgage assistance and emergency shelter are one of the many ways SENCA works to address homeless prevention.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SENCA is the local recipient organization for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program and has served as the local Chair for the Board in Southeast Region A for the past several years. SENCA has developed a partnership with the Salvation Army and serves as its representative in each of the six counties served. SENCA is also a recipient of the Nebraska Homeless Assistance Program which utilizes Homeless Assistance Trust Funds and Emergency Shelter Grant Funds to address the needs of the homeless and near-homeless. SENCA continually works to educate the community on the needs of low-income families and the occasional lack of resources to meet those needs.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES: Eligibility requirements vary depending on various available funding. SENCA uses the Federal Poverty Guidelines when income eligibility is required.

FAMILY DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: This is a strength-based program designed to assist families through a series of assessments. These assessments are used to identify the families' strengths and what barriers or obstacles they face in reaching self-sufficiency. Families are then assisted with writing goals and mobilizing resources to move in that direction.

PROGRAM HISTORY: The Family Development Program was implemented in October of 1996. Continual changes and improvements are being made to enhance the program.

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SENCA has seen an increased number of working low-income families needing assistance since the beginning of Welfare to Work. Many families have taken advantage of the guidance our trained staff can provide in locating and mobilizing needed resources, as well as defining their goals for their family's future. Some families have successfully completed the program with increased income and resources, as well as the ability needed to provide for their families without the use of entitlements or government assistance.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES: Families must desire a change and make a commitment to move toward self-sufficiency, in addition to meeting the income guidelines.

FOOD PANTRIES

Food pantries are available to all persons in the SENCA service area who, because of unforeseen emergency, are in need of food. Food pantries are stocked by donations from various groups, organizations and other interested individuals. The food pantries also provide information about other nutrition programs, safe food preparation, and how to make your food dollars stretch. Private cash donations to the food pantry help to provide perishable items on an as-needed basis. Food pantries are provided and donations accepted at the Outreach Offices and Community Action Centers in each of the six counties served by SENCA.

PROJECT FIRST

SENCA is involved in the Southeast Region Continuum of Care for the Homeless in southeast Nebraska. The Continuum of Care consists of service providers, housing authorities, clergy, school personnel, former homeless representatives and other interested groups or individuals. The mission of this group is "to address the needs of the homeless/near homeless persons and families." The group's vision is that "services for homeless/near homeless are available through community support and education, collaboration, and resource development."

As members of the Continuum of Care for the Homeless, Blue Valley Community Action (BVCA) and SENCA have received a grant for to provide transitional scattered site housing with intensive case management and supportive services to homeless families within a 16 county area of southeast Nebraska. BVCA is the recipient of the grant and contracts with SENCA to provide these services within SENCA's six county service area. This project is known as Project First (Families in Residence with Support in Transition). Anyone needing these services or wanting to refer or find resources for homeless families may do so by contacting the Community Services Coordinator at the SENCA Central Office in Humboldt, NE.

NUTRITION

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES: The meal program is designed to provide a nutritious, affordable meal to the area senior citizens. Meals on Wheels are home delivered by community volunteers to those individuals who are unable to take advantage of the social setting that congregate meals have to offer. SENCA currently operates Congregate and Meals on Wheels Programs in Pawnee and Johnson Counties at the Community Action Centers. Various forms of Congregate and Meals on Wheels Programs are available in Nemaha and Richardson Counties.

PROGRAM HISTORY: Since the beginning of the meal program in 1970, SENCA has served more than 500,000 Congregate meals and 600,000 Meals on Wheels in the six county service area. Meal programs have been initiated and developed in other locations throughout the years with responsibility for operations being assumed by other groups within those communities.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES: The meal programs target the homebound and/or seniors 60 years of age or older, although a guest of any age is always welcome. There are no specific income guidelines since meal costs are suggested donations. Individuals with a financial barrier to making those donations will be assisted in becoming certified through the Department of Health and Human Services for the Title XX Meal Provision Program.