Community Progress Council

Housing counseling and education: cpc administered the emergency rental assistance program (erap) for york county, with funds allocated from federal and state funding sources. The program assisted 2,253 families to help prevent eviction. The hce program provides a comprehensive assessment of client needs to homeless and low-income individuals and families to help them achieve self-sufficiency. Cpc's hud-certified counselors provide first-time homebuyer workshops and one-on-one counseling, supported by funding from Pennsylvania housing finance agency (phfa) and hud. Clients who participate in the homebuyer workshops and counseling may be eligible for reduced down payment and closing costs from a number of sources. The counselors also provide renter education and counseling and foreclosure counseling, along with financial education for those seeking to achieve financial goals from saving, improving credit scores, or becoming homeowners. 330 people attended a financial literacy or homebuyer education workshop, 119 people worked toward their housing and financial goals through one-on-one counseling, 43 participants increased their credit score, and 6 people bought their own home.

Women, infants, and children (wic): provides supplemental food and nutrition education for pregnant and breast-feeding women, mothers who have given birth within the last six months, and children up to five years of age. Assistance is available based on residence, income, and other qualifications and aims to prevent and reduce health and dietary problems during pregnancy and early growth stages of a child's development. Funding is provided by the Pennsylvania department of health. This program served 8,570 families during the year.

Head start/early head start/pre-k: provides high-quality, comprehensive preschool services, including education, nutrition, and health services including vision, hearing and dental screenings to income-eligible infants, toddlers, and pre-school-age children and their families throughout york county. The program also serves children with disabilities and engages family coaches who work with parents to enrich their participation and to help them understand their child's development. Funding is provided by the u.s. department of health and human services and the Pennsylvania department of human services (through head start supplemental assistance). These programs served 458 children and their families during the program year.

Self sufficiency program: empowers and coaches low-income families to attain a family sustaining wage to achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency and live free of public assistance. Participants attend a 16-session facilitated conversation "getting ahead in a just getting by world and investigate how poverty affects their lives and their communities. Through the conversation, participants examine their current situation, build resources, and create a plan for getting ahead. "getting ahead" graduates who are motivated and ready to transform their lives are invited to work intensively with a self-sufficiency coach to more fully develop a future story and create a concrete plan to move toward self-sufficiency. The self-sufficiency program is offered countywide and has received funding from the york county united way, powder mill foundation, york county Community foundation, the rice family foundation and Community services block grant through Pennsylvania department of Community and economic development. 65 participants completed getting ahead, and 54 participants connected with a self-sufficiency coach. The foster grandparent program: provides a subsidized volunteer program for older adults to build positive relationships with children and youth based on sharing, communication, and trust. Individuals over the age of fifty-five, who meet federal income guidelines, are assigned to schools and head start centers throughout the county to provide one-one-one support for children with special needs. Funding is provided by the corporation for national and Community service. The program served 37 clients during the year. Intake & coaching: resource navigators provide a crisis assessment of new participants to determine how to address any immediate needs. Participants work through a support plan and then are referred to a Progress coach or family coach to work on medium and long-term needs. All participants go through a cpc self-sufficiency assessment with a coach and discuss the following indicators: employment, education, income, transportation, childcare, housing, health insurance, and food security. By implementing the intake and coaching process, cpc has been able to ensure that all participants are provided comprehensive, integrated services to meet a variety of needs. Cpc served 3,149 clients through intake and resource navigation & 399 of those connected with ongoing coaching.