The Community Service Block Grant of 1981 authorizes the specific services administered through this federal block grant program, which is the cornerstone of family based services offered by MCCSA. Through case management, CSBG assists in solving real-

life problems by enabling families to attain self-sufficiency. By addressing problems in the areas of income management, employment, education, health, housing and nutrition. The program serves a broad segment of the MCCSA target population ranging from adolescents to the elderly.

This program assists low-income households having the “highest home energy needs” with energy related assistance and increase energy affordability. The program target vulnerable households with at least one young child, an individual with disabilities or a frail older person; and high-burden households

having the lowest income and highest home energy costs.

These programs are designed to improve the condition of residential homes of eligible low-income citizens, especially the elderly, disabled and families with small children by addressing energy efficiency and

health and safety measures. The programs reduce heating and cooling costs and increases energy efficiency of the homes. Eligible dwellings undergo a pre and post energy audit and various tests to

determine the most cost effective measures to be installed in the dwellings by trained technicians. The home is monitored for twelve months to ensure the effectiveness of the measures installed.

VITA is a volunteer program that assists eligible taxpayers in satisfying their tax responsibility by providing free tax return preparations. All volunteers are trained and certified to prepare taxes.

FGP affords older individuals 55 years and older, (an average of 20 hours per week), the opportunity to give one-on-one attention to children with special needs in education settings. Our volunteers nurture growth, confidence, and developmental skills

needed in our children, while assisting the educators. Also, while improving the lives of the children, the services provided strengthen communities and bridge proverbial “generational gaps”. The lives of

the volunteers are enriched as well. The volunteer recognizes his or her own usefulness and has a re-enforced sense of purpose.

Qualified applicants:

must meet income-eligibility guidelines, be physically able to work, and are no longer engaged in the regular work force. United Way of East Mississippi also assist with services provided in the FGP. United Way of East Mississippi financially supports the efforts of the Foster Grandparent Program, making it possible to meet

our goals.

The MOW program provides a daily nutritional well balanced meal to the elderly and/or disabled homebound individuals 60 years of age or older. Its purpose is to assist in independent living, meaningful

and dignified lives in the confinement of their own home. The program rely solely on its volunteers to deliver the meals. United Way of East Mississippi also assist with services provided in the MOW Program. United Way of East Mississippi financially supports the efforts of the Meals on Wheels Program, making it possible to meet our goals.

This program works directly with the Frances W. Davidson Memorial Center for Homelessness and is designed to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or

homelessness through (1) homelessness prevention which includes various types of assistance such as housing relocation and stabilization and short-term rental assistance to help avoid becoming homeless;

and (2) rapid re-housing which assists people who are homeless to move quickly into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing. United Way of East Mississippi financially supports the efforts of the

FWD Memorial Center for Homelessness, making it possible to meet our goals.

FEMA assists with disaster relief or emergency

assistance as first responders to sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

The Riley Foundation donates financial support to the FWD Center for Homelessness to provide assistance towards shelter operations and its clients.

This program is designed to provide employment opportunities to a college/university student. The students assist the agency with conducting and compiling its annually community needs assessment (CNA) surveys are used to identify needs, develop action plans with workable strategies and to locate and secure resources needed for implementation. This survey allows MCCSA to continually target the needs of the community and the shortfall of available services by gaining and assessing input from clients, organizations, politicians and resource providers. The results of these assessments enable MCCSA to identify and apply for potential funding sources with the compiled community data.

This program works to improve the health of low-income elderly persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods.