Jefferson Community Action Agency assistance programs.
While family development is the focus of programs administered by Jefferson Community Action, the non-profit may also have limited amounts of emergency assistance, or referrals to resources. Everything from food to Head Start or government grants for paying rent may be available in Jefferson Parish. The community action agency is focused on helping the less fortunate.
Both rent and food can be provided using federal government resources. The main option available from JEFFCAP is the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, and this is a resource that provides people dealing with emergency situations, such as hunger or evictions, with support. It can come in the form of food, loans for security deposits and shelter. This also means that financial assistance with rent or even partial mortgage payments is also available to those who qualify.
Additional Emergency Assistance from Jefferson Community Action Programs and their case managers will do their best to provide clients in need with other aid. This can be support in obtaining food, low cost housing, clothing, and prescription medications, on an as needed basis in their service territory. As with any non-profit in Louisiana, the availability of Emergency Solutions Grant and other private or government funding may vary during the year, and often runs out.
The federally funded CSBG - Community Services Block Grant Program promotes and supports anti-poverty projects. So staff from Jefferson Community Action Agency partner with other charities and non-profits and services including emergency financial assistance. There may be transportation coordinated with agency on aging offices in Jefferson Parish, housing, and weatherization too. Local government support programs are also available for those in need of help.
Toward the goal of achieving independence and self-sufficiency for the clients of the JEFFCAP community action agency, the Emergency Solutions Grants Program offers short term, transitional housing, combined with an array of support services. Among them may be funds for paying the security deposit on the new, approved low income apartment.
As part of the Jefferson Community Action Homeless Assistance resources, another government funded program is Housing with Opportunities. This focuses on helping the homeless in Jefferson Parish with making the transition from poverty to independence. In addition to providing a place to stay for the participant, the program also offers various supportive services that operate according to a local Continuum of Care Strategy that is part of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, as amended.
The medication and guidance from the agency, or its partners, include HUD-Approved Comprehensive Housing Counseling, which assists with mortgage default or foreclosure prevention. It also helps clients with pre-purchase, consumer education, solving rental delinquency issues, and staff offer assistance with relocation to a more affordable home. The counseling also offers information and education in regard to the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing home for the first time.
The ECIP - Emergency Crisis Intervention Program operates on the principle that all human beings need and should have safe and secure housing. This includes ensuring that everyone has access to sufficient home heating and cooling and can pay their utility bills on time. This can often pose a problem for low-income workers and those with fixed incomes, such as senior citizens.
The inability to keep a home at a comfortable or livable temperature may have detrimental effects on the occupants’ health and well-being. In order to provide the most effective and comprehensive set of energy bill assistance services to struggling residents, Jefferson Community Action integrates a variety of programs into ECIP, including the federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.
This federal and state of Louisiana service makes payments directly to home energy providers or electric companies on behalf of elderly, disabled, and financially disadvantaged clients. As resources and funding allows, ECIP services also include the maintenance, repair, or replacement of faulty heating units in low-income homes in the parish of Jefferson.
Child development includes Head Start and Early Head Start. Teachers that are part of the service and local schools promote and supports children’s intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development through a variety of activities.
Programming from the non-profit JEFFCAP also includes services for children with disabilities and special needs, enabling them to assimilate and interact within the learning environment. Parental support includes education in regard to parenting and achieving self-sufficiency, and they can also enroll into job training or placement services. Staff and parents alike receive extensive training and technical assistance, including workshops and college-credit courses in Early Childhood Development.
Referrals and information on other public aid and local programs are also available. Some examples include the following. Receive guidance in applying for Medicaid, a Computer Technology Center is available for free to residents, and there is low cost transportation to medical appointment or an interview. Also, staff from Jefferson Community Action can help people apply for programs such as SNAP or SSI disability, among many others.
How to apply for financial aid from Jefferson Community Action Agency
The main phone number for these and other social services in (504) 736-6900. Jefferson Community Action Programs are located at 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, and the non-profit is committed to helping the less fortunate and breaking the cycle of poverty.
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