Through a federal grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Capital Resource Agency, Inc. is excited to offer low income residents of Kanawha, Putnam, Clay, Boone, and Fayette Counties the opportunity to receive training in high-demand vocational fields and assistance in overcoming the barriers to obtaining high quality employment through our “Avenues to Employment” programs. All “Avenues to Employment” programs are completely free to low income participants.

“Avenues to Employment” programs include Certified Nursing Assistance classes, LPN educational supports, assistance starting in-home day cares, job placement, and family development, as well as a partnership with Skylink to train technicians for DirecTV. These programs not only assist in education funding, but also in many care, transportation, emergency support, and any other conditions that would destabilize the families of participants. For more information, please visit http://www.crawv.org/.

WHAT IS COMMUNITY ACTION?

Community Action Agencies are private nonprofit or public organizations that were created by the federal government in 1964 to combat poverty in geographically designed areas. Status as a Community Action Agency is the result of an explicit designation by local or state government. A Community Action Agency has a tripartite board structure that is designed to promote the participation of the entire community in the reduction or elimination of poverty. Community Action Agencies seek to involve the community, including elected public officials, private sector representatives, and especially low-income residents in assessing local needs and attacking the causes and conditions or poverty.

WHY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES ARE UNIQUE

Most poverty-related organizations focus on a specific area of need, such as job training, health care, housing, or economic development. Community Action Agencies reach out to low-income people in their communities, address their multiple needs trough a comprehensive approach, develop partnerships with other community organizations, involve low-income clients in the agency’s operations, and administer a full range of coordinated programs designed to have a measurable impact on poverty.