TOMPKINS COMMUNITY ACTION INC

TOMPKINS COMMUNITY ACTION IS A PRIVATE, NOT-FOR PROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION THAT HAD ITS GRASSROOTS BEGINNINGS IN 1964. ORIGINALLY TOMPKINS COUNTY ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY CORPORATION OR EOC, AS IT WAS KNOWN UNTIL OUR OFFICIAL CORPORATE NAME CHANGE TO TOMPKINS COMMUNITY ACTION IN 1999, BEGAN AS A LOCAL COALITION OF CONCERNED COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WANTED TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN TOMPKINS COUNTY. FORMALLY INCORPORATED IN 1966, THE AGENCY BECAME PART OF A NATIONAL AND STATE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES. FROM A SMALL NOT-FOR-PROFIT HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY, WITH A YEARLY BUDGET OF APPROXIMATELY $25,000 AND A STAFF OF 3.5 EMPLOYEES IN 1966 OPERATING TWO PROGRAMS, EOC TRANSFORMED ITSELF AND HAS GROWN INTO TOMPKINS COMMUNITY ACTION, A LARGE, MULTI-FACETED COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY IMPLEMENTING AND INTEGRATING 21 PROGRAMS THAT SERVE LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS. AS ONE OF TOMPKINS COUNTY'S LARGER EMPLOYERS, THE AGENCY CURRENTLY HAS A STAFF OF 110 PEOPLE WHO ASSIST 4,000 LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS YEARLY THROUGH A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING. WE ENTER THIS YEAR WITH RENEWED COMMITMENT TO OUR MISSION, VISION, AND STRATEGIES FOR ENDING CYCLES OF POVERTY IN TOMPKINS COUNTY. OUR HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS SERVE 350 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. PROGRAM DELIVERY SUPPORTED PREGNANT WOMEN, NEWBORNS, AND CHILDREN UP TO 5 YEARS OLD IN BOTH CLASSROOMS AND FAMILIES' HOMES. WE HAVE 22 CLASSROOMS COUNTY WIDE AS WELL AS OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE ITHACA SCHOOL DISTRICT SERVING AS OUR DELEGATE IN AN ADDITIONAL 9 PREK CLASSROOMS. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES RECEIVE HIGH QUALITY DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE EDUCATION, INDIVIDUALIZATION TO ENHANCE LEARNING AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO PREPARE OUR CHILDREN FOR A LIFETIME OF LEARNING. IMPLEMENTING HIGH SCOPE CURRICULUM, PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON THE FIVE DOMAINS IDENTIFIED TO MEET SCHOOL READINESS GOALS THAT PREPARE OUR CHILDREN FOR KINDERGARTEN. CHILDREN'S MATH AND SCIENCE SKILLS INCREASED BY 29% AND LANGUAGE LITERACY SKILLS BY 24% THIS PROGRAM YEAR. CHILD SOCIAL RELATIONS SKILLS INCREASED BY 28%; SHOWS A STRONG INDICATOR FOR SCHOOL READINESS AND TRANSITION SUCCESS. FAMILY SERVICES INCLUDED MONTHLY SOCIALIZATION ACTIVITIES, PARENT ACTION GROUPS, TRAININGS, SECONDARY EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AND SEMINARS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE SERVED 77,095 BREAKFASTS, LUNCHES AND SNACKS TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THIS YEAR AND EXPANDED PROGRAM ACTIVITIES LINKING ACTIVE MOVEMENT TO HEALTHY NUTRITION, AND OUR FAMILY HOME LIBRARY PROGRAM COMPONENT PROVIDED 3,080 BOOKS. FUNDING FOR HEAD START / EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMING, FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES, TOTALED $4,469,088. FUNDING PROVIDED $3,168,669 IN WAGES AND FRINGE BENEFITS, $797,735 FOR OPERATIONS, $372,139 TO SUPPORT ITHACA SCHOOL DISTRICT DELEGATE AND RACKER PARTNERSHIPS, AND $68,695 FOR PROGRAM CONSUMABLES. FUNDING INCLUDED $61,580 TO SUPPORT AND EXPAND STAFF AND PARENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING. OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL SUPPORT PROGRAM WORKED CLOSELY WITH PARENTS AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF CHILDREN TRANSITIONING TO KINDERGARTEN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. ADVOCATES PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES AT PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES, COORDINATED SERVICE DELIVERY FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND SUPPORTED POSITIVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FAMILIES AND SCHOOL SYSTEM STAFF.THE EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRY DISTRIBUTED 7, 002 BOXES OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD, PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS AND HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES TO INCOME ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS. OUR VICTORY GARDEN INITIATIVE PROVIDED VEGETABLE AND HERB SEEDLINGS TO 181 HOUSEHOLDS WITH LOW INCOMES WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS. AS THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR NYS HOMES AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL, WE PROVIDED HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO OVER 1,066 HOUSEHOLDS. THE TOTAL ANNUAL SUBSIDY PAID OUT TO LANDLORDS WAS $7,674,524. A TOTAL OF 78 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN OUR FAMILY SELF SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM, WITH 42 PEOPLE EARNING ESCROW MONIES DUE TO AN INCREASE IN THEIR EARNED INCOME. A NEW PROGRAM THIS YEAR, THE MAKING MOVES PROGRAM ASSISTED 15 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM FAMILIES TO MOVE TO RENTAL UNITS IN WELL-RESOURCED NEIGHBORHOODS. TCACTION PROVIDED RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO 13 CHRONICALLY HOMELESS HOUSEHOLDS WHO MOVED INTO PERMANENT HOUSING WITH TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE THAT COMBINES RENTAL SUBSIDY AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. TCACTION SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAMS PROVIDED PERMANENT HOUSING ACROSS 135 RENTAL UNITS IN THE CITY OF ITHACA. SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAMS COMBINE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO HELP HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS STABILIZE IN HOUSING AND MOVE FORWARD WITH GOALS. TCACTION HOSTS 12 UNITS AT CHARTWELL HOUSE, 14 UNITS AT MAGNOLIA HOUSE, 6 UNITS AT THE CORN STREET APARTMENTS AND 23 UNITS AT AMICI HOUSE. IN ADDITION, TCACTION PROVIDES SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO 40 UNITS AT ITHACA ARTHAUS AND 40 UNITS AT ITHACA ASTERI. ACROSS ALL HOUSING PROGRAM SITES, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES INCLUDE REFERRALS TO HEALTH SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE RECOVERY SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS, EMPLOYMENT SEARCH AND EDUCATION SUPPORTS, FAMILY UNIFICATION AND LIFE SKILL BUILDING RELATED TO EACH RESIDENTS' GOALS.