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Promoting
Independence & Self-Sufficiency Since 1966
Community & Family Services, Inc., a private, not-for-profit
corporation, has provided assistance and advocacy for low-income
residents of Adams, Blackford, Huntington, Jay, Randolph and Wells
Counties. The purpose of Community & Family Services
assistance is to enable individuals experiencing economic distress
to become independent and self-sufficient.
Our Governing
Board
Understanding
the Community
The
Governing Board of Community & Family Services, Inc. is made up of
equal numbers of elected officials, community representatives and
disadvantaged persons from the geographic area served.
The
Governing Board sets policy, directs allocation of funds and
determines activities. Community & Family Services can provide
services that best meet the local needs because it is guided by
volunteers who know and understand their own communities.
Our History
Community and Family Services is comprised of local groups of
citizens who
are concerned about low-income and disadvantaged persons and wish to
actively participate in changing the forces which cause their
problems.
These changes can be obtained in many different ways and are
reflected
through the various programs of the agency.
All Community Action agencies have a shared heritage in the Economic
Opportunity Act of 1964. Since that time many changes have occurred
which
have significantly altered and changed the make-up of the agency,
but the
mission has remained the same.
A Community Action Agency, now known as Community and Family
Services, Inc.
was designated by the State of Indiana in 1965 to include Adams,
Blackford,
Jay, Randolph and Wells counties to serve the residents of these
counties.
These areas were selected because they have similar socioeconomic
characteristics. The designation of a Community Action Agency also
requires
a population base of 100,000. Subsequently, Huntington County was
incorporated with these counties.
The uniqueness of such an agency is based upon the active
participation of
citizens of these counties in policy determination and
implementation and is
reflective of the mission of a Community Action Agency (CAA).
Requirements
governing CAA's are both mandated from funding sources and locally
determined.
Core funding for the agency is provided by the Indiana Housing and
Community Development Agency, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Indiana Department of Health, and Indiana Housing and
Community Development
Authority. As a private non-profit corporation, the agency is in a
position
to make application for and receive additional funding for services
such as
United Way and Community Foundation. Such funding would be
consistent with
the agency's goals and objectives in serving the needs of the
low-income and
disadvantaged within our service area.
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