Our Mission
Our agency’s mission is “to build coalitions of partnerships, volunteers, and programs dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by improving the quality of life and empowering community participants to become self-sufficient in our service area.”
Of course, our mission statement shares our service area, the seven counties in Northeast Alabama that we serve. Our agency has Case Managers and an office in each of our service counties to meet with low-income families that can benefit from the programs we offer. Now, let’s break down what each segment of our mission statement means.
“To Build Coalitions of Partnerships, Volunteers, and Programs Dedicated to Breaking the Cycle of Poverty”
Throughout the year, our agency is constantly seeking information from community partners, such as local businesses and other charity organizations, on how we can coordinate resources to provide for those in need. This includes recruiting volunteers from around the community to assist in our efforts.
Based on responses we receive from partner organizations and from what our own Case Managers see from our clients, our staff designs programs in various domains to help combat the causes and conditions of poverty. Our programs are divided into two main categories: emergency services (this includes emergency utility and rent payment, as well as food cards, transportation, and prescription vouchers) and Case Management services (which partner our clients with one of our Case Managers to provide an individualized self-sufficiency plan for each client).
In our community, it is evident that the cycle of poverty is hurting those around us. We see this in our schools, our churches, and in other helping organizations. We know that the only way to break this cycle is by bringing the community together in our efforts.
We also recognize that our agency will never be able to meet all of the needs of the clients we face. But, through our extensive referral system, our Case Managers are able to connect our clients with nonprofits who can provide the services that we may not be able to provide ourselves.
“By Improving the Quality of Life”
Many of the clients who receive our services are elderly or disabled and on a fixed income. We are able to assist these clients through our emergency services programs, which helps relieve them of their energy burdens, provides grocery store gift cards, Farmer’s Market Coupons, and necessary repairs to their homes. This is how we seek to improve those individuals’ overall quality of life. Individuals also create meaningful relationships with our Case Managers, who are able to check in with them and help them gain access to whatever it is they may be needing.
“And Empowering Community Participants to Become Self-Sufficient”
It is our goal to provide the necessary tools and resources to those individuals in our community who feel trapped in the generational cycle of poverty. Our Case Managers are able to work with these families to provide the necessary emergency service programs that will allow them to meet their individual goals. Case Managers help clients achieve the goals they have for themselves, whether that be a job, a GED, or a better knowledge of how to budget and open a savings account.