I Care assistance programs.
I Care is a non-profit that the less fortunate in both Lincoln and Iredell Counties can turn to for help. The agency will try to provide for basic needs, such as offering referrals to food pantries or low income housing, while the long term challenge facing the individual is addressed.
The poverty fighting organization will also work with clients on self-sufficiency and educational needs. Having a decent paying job and skills in today’s competitive job market can allow families to increase their income, and therefore self-sufficiency.
Resources for seniors in Iredell and Lincoln
Assistance is available for senior citizens. The agency has information on agency on aging centers that operate and also an information service that elderly residents who need support can turn to. Many of the clients have been afflicted by dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, reduction in their medical benefits, and other financial challenges, so this advice and guidance is needed.
This local program also helps elderly individuals manage the aging process and is run in partnership with the Division of Aging. I Care and its partner agencies provide a nurturing, safe and stimulating environment to clients, offering therapeutic and recreational activities and other aid. Specific activities include health and wellness education, free meals, seasonal and birthday celebrations, and alternative therapies.
Working with the agency on aging in North Carolina, the adult day services feature individual care plans to monitor a senior citizens health. Another resource is a local clinic, and staff will administer prescription medication, checks blood pressure, facilitate exercise routines and assists with daily living activities.
In addition, nutritional needs are met. The program provides a free hot breakfast, lunch, holiday meals and afternoon snacks to senior citizens. These services are designed to aid primary caregivers as well by offering them a little respite.
The I Care home-delivered meals program, run in partnership with groups such as churches or the Salvation Army, distributes nutritious foodstuff to residents of Iredell County who are 60 years of age or older, and mentally or physically unable to obtain food or prepare meals. So the aid is for the homebound.
Eligible clients for a free meal must be incapable of participating in the congregate nutrition program that is held at a local charity or senior center. This needs to be due to physical or mental impairments and they need to have no other resources that can help them maintain a healthy diet.
Spouses of disabled, elderly and homebound individuals can also receive free food or even groceries through the home-delivered meals program. Volunteers from I Care and local churches deliver meals, and as such, the routes are limited.
Head Start and educational services
Head Start from I Care is a federal preschool program for low-income families and the working poor. It includes a number of educational activities as well as medical care and food. Children and infants that enroll receive free food (snacks and lunches), medical and dental care, and they will also be examined for any health issues.
All services, such as vision and hearing tests and needed immunizations are provided by professionals or local doctors. Follow-up care for any health needs is free of charge. Head Start also accommodates children with disabilities from Lincoln County and nearby towns.
The center also offers a child development program to help ensure that children are healthy and prepared to learn when they enter the public school system. Experienced teachers that partner with the non-profit work with enrolled children in a safe environment using state-approved curriculum, and there are computers in every classroom.
Head start is also a form of child care, as the youth will be cared for during this timeframe. Child development services in Iredell and Lincoln also provide hot, catered meals and services for children with special needs. North Carolina prekindergarten classes are available for eligible applicants as well. More on free Head Start for children.
I Care, Inc. housing and weatherization services
Income-eligible residents in the supported counties can improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce utility bills through the state and federal government’s weatherization program. Another option is the NC specific HARRP is a Heating Appliance Repair and Replacement Program. According to the community action agency, households on average save $300 in annual energy costs by weatherizing their homes.
Families that are able to enroll will have trained technicians perform energy audits of their residence and recommend appropriate and cost-effective energy-saving measures. The goal is to make dwellings of Stateville and other towns cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
In order to help people conserve energy, contractors adjust and repair heating and cooling systems, may replace a furnace, seal significant air leaks and ducts, and insulate attics, walls, floors and other spaces. Technicians also check carbon monoxide levels and inspect combustive appliances.
All across both Iredell and other counties, affordable rental housing is available to income-qualified families. There are also units for seniors as well as the disabled. All housing units satisfy energy-conservation standards to minimize utility bills and they will offer the residence a place to stay at a reduced rental amount. In addition, case managers from I Care refer families who make use of the agency’s affordable rental housing to other services and resources in the area.
Advice and case management
The organization’s main goal is to enroll people in the self-sufficiency program. It provides case management and other support services that are designed to help families escape poverty and become financially independent. This identifies family needs, sets goals, examines their strengths and connects clients with the resources they require to move toward self-sufficiency. Training, workshops and presentations focus on financial literacy, budgeting and employment.
Some of the topics covered in these sessions include financial management, Educational and Employment assistance, Workplace Survival Skills training and more. Various sessions will be organized throughout the year.
The agency administers an information and referral service in an effort to identify and help needy families in low-income areas of North Carolina. Under this service, which is part of case management, the agency disseminates information, makes referrals and directs families in crisis to the appropriate community resources or public financial aid. There is financial aid, including government assistance programs.
Community service workers from both Iredell and Lincoln determine the needs, goals and service eligibility of families and provide information regarding community resources. The agency uses a centralized intake and data collection system to track participants in its programs, recording the services clients receive and their progress toward self-sufficiency. Staff use this system and the data from it in partnership with other agencies to compile a directory of community resources available throughout its service territory.
The Workforce Investment Act is for youth from the area, the unemployed, and seniors looking to reenter the workforce. Clients are offer access to training and development in a variety of areas, with both coaches and mentors. Other I Care resources include GED services, ESL classes, and skills that lead to employment.
Contact information
The I Care community action is based at 1415 Shelton Avenue, Statesville, North Carolina 28687. Call them at (704) 872-8141 for more details.
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