Five County Community Action

ity Service Block Grant (CSBG) funding to build partnerships with faith-based, public, non-profit, and for-profit entities; identify and meet changing community needs; and engage community members (including through volunteerism). This also includes supporting other service providers in Southwest Utah through subcontracting, information and referrals, and technical assistance. By federal law, a community action agency is governed by a tri-partite board consisting of equal representation of elected, private-sector, and low-income representatives. In Southwest Utah, this board is the Five County Human Services Council. Additionally, services must be justified through a community needs assessment. Programs Administered:

Information and Referral – directs community members towards resources which help them towards self-sufficiency. This also includes maintaining the Five County Community Resource Directory and working with United Way of Utah County with the 211 Information and Referral Service. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program / Earn It, Keep It, Save It – provides free income tax assistance services for low and moderate-income families. The program also encourages saving Earned Income Tax Credit and tax refunds to meet future needs and avoid consumer debt. Works with USU Extension for financial literacy and budgeting classes. Rapid Re-housing / Homeless Case Management – moving homeless adults and families from shelter into housing as fast as possible in a way which is fair to client and landlords. Provide intensive case management to obtain employment, stay off the streets, and obtain access to other resources needed to stabilize and work towards self-sufficiency. Transportation - supports transportation programs in all Five Counties for seniors and persons with disabilities. Also provides transportation assistance for employment by providing bus passes and gas voucher reimbursements. Court Ordered Community Services – helps individuals avoid incarceration and heavy fines while supplying non-profit and governmental agencies hundreds of volunteer hours. Employment Supports – Providing low-cost assistance for things such as birth certificates and/or ID’s needed for employment. Can also provide job training assistance where DWS and Vocational Rehab are unable to serve eligible clients. Emergency food and shelter support – Coordinates food pantry and shelter funding, reporting, and monitoring for twelve food pantries, two homeless shelters, and two domestic violence shelters in Southwest Utah. Provides case manager training to food pantry case managers. Also participate in local emergency preparedness planning and response.