The mission of the Community Action Commission of Fayette County is to combat causes of poverty, expand community services, and implement projects necessary to provide services and further community improvements.
Its mission is also to consider the problems concerning youth, adults and senior citizens and deal with the prevention and solving of those problems.
The provision of affordable housing is a specific purpose of the agency, as is the development of income-generating projects consistent with the purposes of the corporation which will increase funds available for services and reduce the agency’s dependence on public funds.
The Ohio Benefit Bank is an Internet-based, counselor assisted service that connects low- and moderate-income families to tax credits and work supports. As a response to the declining economic plight facing thousands of Ohioans The Ohio Benefit Bank connects individuals and families to the support they need where they live, work, and play.
Community Actions are required to have a three part board. 1/3 Private, 1/3 Public, and 1/3 Participant Sector. CAA’s are also required to have one formerly homeless individual and a victim of domestic violence on the Board. We would like to thank our Board for donating their time and expertise to such a worthy cause.
Click here for our Board Roster
1400 US Route 22 NW
Washington Court House, OH 43160
Phone: 740-335-7282
Fax: 740-335-6802
The Continuum of Care (CoC) is a collaborative of government, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations that meets monthly to organize and deliver housing and services for homeless or at-risk individuals and families. The Continuum of Care strives to facilitate the movement from homelessness to permanent housing and maximum self-sufficiency. In Fayette County the CoC meets monthly to plan, organize, network, and share resources. In 2006 the CoC was asked to partner with the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation to create a 10 year plan to end homelessness in Fayette County and then participate in the regional plan to end homelessness. As time has gone on the Continuum has grown to work not only as a way to streamline the HUD application process but also to serve as a conduit to increasing organizational effectiveness through creative partnerships, defining gaps in services, and filling those gaps. Any government, non-profit, faith-based, or for-profit organization or civic minded individuals and/or formerly homeless are also encouraged to join.
Fayette County Continuum of Care on Facebook
“To promote secure and affordable housing for residents of Fayette County who are homeless or who have been identified as being at risk of becoming homeless.”
The Community Action Commission of Fayette County (CAC) received its first HUD McKinney funds in 1990 for a 3-year grant for Transitional Housing. CAC has received these funds ever since. As part of the renewal process for the McKinney funds in the mid-1990s, the agency had to describe its housing coordination activities, which HUD called a Continuum of Care. CAC responded by describing its attendance at various housing related meetings held in the county. As the Continuum of Care became a more formal requirement, a separate coalition was set up specifically to meet this requirement. The early Coalition consisted of the CAC’s homeless and housing staff, representatives from the Department of Job & Family Services, and a staff member from the Housing Authority. These members met monthly at a local restaurant and conducted very informal meetings. The coalition expanded as the CoC guidelines from HUD and the Ohio Department of Development were developed. Over time the membership has grown to include several organizations.
In 2012, the Fayette County Continuum of Care was asked to lead the region in the Homeless Crisis Response Program. The Regional Continuum of Care covers Clinton, Highland, Fayette, Pickaway and Ross Counties. Across the five county region, homeless programs will coordinate to more effectively deliver scarce resources to the homeless in our communities.
Continuum of Care Members Include: Fayette County Commissioners; Fayette County Workforce Board; Fayette County Economic Development; Fayette County United Way; Fayette County Department of Job and Family Services; Fayette County Memorial Hospital, Fayette County Health Department; Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, Fayette County Victim/Witness, Fayette County Metropolitan Housing Authority; Fayette County Community Action Commission; Fayette County Juvenile Probation; Fayette County Red Cross; Goodwill; Salvation Army; L.I.F.E Pregnancy Center; My Sister’s House Domestic Violence Program; The Agape Church; United Fellowship Church; Heritage Memorial Church; Grace Community Church.
To join the Continuum of Care or refer a homeless individual or family, please contact Dreama Brown at 740-335-7282 ext. 123.
Destination HOME is a combination of the Shelter Plus Care and Permanent Supportive Housing Programs federally funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development designed to assist chronically homeless, disabled individuals find and maintain permanent housing.
Eligible individuals must be considered homeless by HUD standards.
This means they must have been living in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation. Examples include: the street, cars, abandoned buildings, tents, parks, woods, etc.
Eligible individuals must considered chronically homeless by HUD standards. This means they have been HUD homeless continuously for one year or four times in the past 3 years.
Eligible individuals must also be considered disabled. This means the individual suffers from a physical disability, mental illness, and/or chronic problems with drugs and/or alcohol.
Destination HOME provides voluntary, client-focused, home-based case management. The case manager develops a services plan and works to provide and secure long-term supportive services to ensure that participants maintain their housing. The case manager will meet with the customer each month to keep sure the unit is in proper order, the lease requirements are fulfilled, and that the participant is connected to all necessary community supports. The participant will pay 30% of his/her income towards their housing.
“At time I felt hopeless and had no reason to live… they welcomed me with open arms and listened with compassion…I now have a safe and secure place of my own” – Destination HOME Participant
For more information, please contact Jennifer Guisinger at 740-335-7282 ext. 146
You may donate by clicking the button below:
Or by submitting your check to:
Community Action Commission of Fayette County
1400 U.S. Route 22 NW
Washington Court House, OH 43160
The Community Action Commission of Fayette County has several options for youth education.
Fayette County Early Head Start is a program to help parents use their home environment to provide rich learning opportunities and enhance their child’s development. We serve expectant mothers and families with children 0 to 3. Visits take place in the families’ home once a week for 90 minutes each.
Early Head Start has a certified car seat specialist through Safe Kids and interpreter services available for our Spanish families. Services are provided by a Home Visitor that holds a degree in Social Work or Education and have completed training on Ohio’s Infant Toddler Guidelines. A Social / Emotional Consultant is available to assist with family and behavioral concerns.
Fayette County Head Start is a free preschool program for children between the ages of 3 and 5. Head Start offers morning and afternoon sessions. Head Start provides breakfast, lunch, and a snack. Children receive developmental, speech, vision, and hearing screenings onsite. We serve all eligible children, including children with disabilities. We provide transportation to both site locations .
Our mission is to enhance the quality of life by providing a comprehensive and dynamic program for children and families, to empower and encourage movement towards self-sufficiency and independence, and to incorporate Head Start Core Values in all of our lives and in the lives of those we touch. We value children, families, and our professional staff.
We foster creativity and innovation to make a difference in the lives of children and families we serve, as together we learn and grow each day.
Early Head Start (EHS) was established in 1995 as a program for families with infants and toddlers and pregnant women that met certain income guidelines. In creating EHS, the Congress acted upon evidence from research and practice which indicates that the time from conception to age three is critical for human development and that for infants and toddlers to develop optimally, they must have healthy beginnings and the continuity of responsive and caring relationships.
Fayette County Early Head Start is a program to help parents use their home environment to provide rich learning opportunities and enhance their child’s development. We serve expectant mothers and families with children 0 to 3. Visits take place in the families’ home once a week for 90 minutes each. Your home visitor will: provide activities that strengthen parent-child relationships and help develop and enhance skills they already have; identify learning opportunities in the home environment; provide a comprehensive program to children and families which promote sound physical, social, and emotional growth; provide information to pregnant mothers on baby’s development, nutrition during pregnancy, and breastfeeding; support the attachment between parent and child; you are your child’s first and best Teacher; identify early developmental delays; provide activities that are planned using a research based curriculum; link families to community services; provide play groups twice a month for children & parents to socialize, build relationships, and share experiences; provide access to dental office appointments; arrange transportation for doctor visits; and prepare you and your child for the transition to pre-school. Early Head Start has a certified car seat specialist through Safe Kids and interpreter services available for our Spanish families. Services are provided by a Home Visitor that holds a degree in Social Work or Education and have completed training on Ohio’s Infant Toddler Guidelines. A Social / Emotional Consultant is available to assist with family and behavioral concerns.
WCH
1400 U.S. Hwy 22
Phone: 740.335.7138
Fax: 740.335.0051
JEFFERSONVILLE
41 Colonial Drive
Phone: 740.426.0051
Fax: 740.335.0051
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program began in 1983 with a $50 million federal appropriation. The program was created by Congress to help meet the needs of hungry and homeless people throughout the United States and its territories by allocating federal funds for the provision of food and shelter.
The program is governed by a National Board composed of representatives of the American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; The Jewish Federations of North America; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Salvation Army; and United Way Worldwide. The Board is chaired by a representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
EFSP Guiding Principles are:
How Are Emergency Food and Shelter Program Funds Used?
Program funds are used to provide the following, as determined by the Local Board in funded jurisdictions:
Emergency Services
Community Action has several emergency services programs. These programs can assist with placing an individual or family in a motel, prevent utility disconnections, and provide referrals for emergency food.
There are no employment opportunities at this time.
LANDLORD TENANT
Community Action Commission of Fayette County cannot provide legal advice regarding Landlord-Tenant issues. If you have questions about your rights, visit the Ohio Bar Association’s webpage, Ohio State Legal Services Association @ 866-529-6446 or ohiolegalhelp.org or South Eastern Ohio Legal Services @ 800-589-5888. Even if Legal Aid cannot assist you, they may be able to refer you. Also please read the Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321, Ohio Landlord Tenant Law to learn your rights.
FAIR HOUSING
Fair Housing laws are designed to protect your right to seek housing anywhere you can afford to live. The Fair Housing Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The Fair Housing Act protects you against violations of your housing rights and prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of:
Ancestry (Ohio Law), Color, Disability, Familial status, National origin, Race, Religion, Sex
The Faith in Recovery Coalition is a collaborative of government, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations that meets monthly to combat substance abuse in Fayette County. The coalition identifies strategies to decrease substance abuse, promote healthier life styles, and improve the lives of our neighbors battling substance abuse. Together, our neighbor can and will recover!
Our mission is to combat substance abuse in Fayette County through collaborative community development projects to promote a safer, healthier community.
The Faith in Recovery Coalition was organized in July 2012 in response to the heroine epidemic in Fayette County. The group identified the need to bring in a continuum of services to support individual and families in recovery from opioid, heroine, and other addictions. The group has developed a community needs assessment and identified the need to establish additional treatment and housing options in our community for those recovering from substance abuse.
The coalition has prioritized the following projects to address substance abuse in our community:
Contact Christina Blair @ 740-335-7282 ext. 125
CAC Staff Support to the Faith in Recovery Coalition
Addiction is a progressive disease. Research shows that Individuals that begin using drugs and alcohol at an early age are more likely to develop serious problems. While examining the opioid and heroin epidemic and its drain on local resources, the Faith in Recovery Coalition identified the need to establish a prevention committee to stop addiction before it begins. Through support of the Healthier Buckeye Grant, the coalition was able to secure staff support to achieve the county’s goal of coordinating prevention resources and obtaining a drug-free community designation. The coalition identified its gaps in becoming a drug free community and is now in the process of conducting a community needs assessment.
The Faith in Recovery Prevention Committee will create a unified community response to prevent youth substance abuse and support the development of effective community programs to promote a safer, healthier, and drug free Fayette County.
Strategic Prevention FrameworkTo truly solve a community problem, we must first be able to fully describe the issue and then develop solutions around those issues. To accomplish this goal, the Faith in Recovery Prevention Committee will utilize the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s Strategic Prevention Framework.
The Faith in Recovery Prevention Committee will conduct a community needs assessment from September through December 2016. The needs assessment is based upon the Social-Ecological Model. To access surveys and tools, please see their descriptions below:
Community Readiness Assessment – Surveys will determine where Fayette County is in terms of community readiness. Community readiness will inform which strategies are best suited for our community. Take the Community Readiness Survey now!
Individual Level Assessment – Data will be collected through surveys administered at the local schools for individuals in 6th, 8th, and 10th grades.
Interpersonal & Community Assessment – Data will be collected through focus groups conducted with the following groups: local community partners, the local school districts, and through local youth serving organizations. Additionally, the coalition’s staff support person will collection of use and consequence data from local schools, law enforcement, probation, and the hospital. The following documents were utilized to conduct the interpersonal and community needs assessment: Focus Group Questions, Focus Group Handout, and the Community Assessment.
Organizational Assessment – Data is being collected on the inventory of substance abuse prevention and treatment resources available in our community. To submit your organization’s program for inclusion in the county’s database of prevention and treatment resources, please fill out the Community Substance Abuse Resource Assessment.
Policy Assessment – Community Organizations, local businesses, and laws will be examined to describe how the community responds to substance abuse. Please submit your policies via the Policy Survey.
Please be sure to check back on our results and to contribute your thoughts regarding what we need to do as a community to keep our children drug free. Please contact Christina Blair @ 740-335-7282 ext. 125 for more details.
The CAC of Fayette County operates a 17 unit SRO facility, Fayette Inn. Fayette Inn provides permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals.
Eligibility: Individuals must be homeless per the Department of Housing and Urban Development and under 35% AMI.
Definition of Homelessness: person living in emergency shelter, hotel/motel paid for an agency or organization, and/or place not meant for human habitation.
Examples of places not meant for human habitation: woods, car, abandoned building, tent, chicken coop, park, etc.
For more information contact Steve Wilson at 740-636-1374 or stop in at 2825 US RT 22 SW, Washington Court House, OH 43160
Program OverviewGetting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World is a 45-hour workshop that helps individuals in poverty build their resources for a more prosperous life for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Getting Ahead provides people in poverty with the same information found in Bridges Out of Poverty, which was developed for professionals and others in the community working to end poverty. Please visit our Bridges page for more details on how to schedule a training or how to become a mentor for individuals graduating from the Getting Ahead program.
Involves rigorous work done in a safe learning environment with the support of an experienced facilitator and co-facilitator.
Enables participants, called “investigators,” to examine their own experience of poverty as well as explore issues in the community that impact poverty − banking, housing, jobs, transportation − providing critical information the community can use to take action to end poverty.
Guides investigators through an assessment of their own resources and how to build those resources as part of their move to self-sufficiency.
Puts the concepts, tools, and relationships in the hands of people in poverty to make a difference in their own lives and in the life of their community.
Getting Ahead participants are current recipients of public assistance. This may include SNAP, OWF, HEAP, Medicaid, etc.
To enroll, contact Christina Blair at 740-335-7282 ext 125
The Getting Ahead Program is based on research and work by renowned anti-poverty advocate Dr. Ruby Payne. Visit these websites to learn more about her work and our approach to working with people in poverty and helping them get ahead:
www.ahaprocess.com
www.bridgesoutofpoverty.com
Head Start began as a Summer Program in 1965. It’s main focus was on the social development of children. In 1970 parents began having rights and responsibilities associated with their children being enrolled in Head Start. In 1990 Head Start serves 60,000 children.
Fayette County Head Start is a free preschool program for children between the ages of 3 and 5. Head Start offers morning and afternoon sessions. Head Start provides breakfast, lunch, and a snack. Children receive developmental, speech, vision, and hearing screenings onsite. We serve all eligible children, including children with disabilities. We provide transportation to both site locations .
Annual Report 2014
Annual Report 2013
Annual Report 2012
Annual Report 2011
Annual Report 2010
Annual Report 2009
Annual Report 2008
WCH
1400 U.S. Hwy 22
Phone: 740.335.7138
Fax: 740.335.0051
JEFFERSONVILLE
41 Colonial Drive
Phone: 740.426.0051
Fax: 740.335.0051
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a federally funded program administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency’s Office of Community Assistance (OCA). It is designed to help eligible low-income households meet the high costs of home heating. If you are eligible for assistance, the amount of your one-time HEAP benefit will depend on federal funding levels, how many people live with you, total household income, and the primary fuel you use to heat your home. In most cases, the one-time benefit will be a credit applied to your energy bill by your utility company (or fuel vendor).
To be eligible the total household income must be at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
Documentation needed:
Tracey Hixon 740-335-7282 Ext. 115