SCCAC

Mission Statement

Strafford County Community Action Committee, Inc. (SCCAC) is committed to ensuring that the basic needs of low-income and disadvantaged individuals and families are met, while promoting personal responsibility and self-sufficiency.

We believe that everyone has the right to basic necessities of life such as food, housing, utilities, health care, quality child care, and an adequate income.

SCCAC also believes that all people regardless of income deserve to live with dignity and self-respect.

Executive Director

What's New • Who & Where We Are • What We Do • Needs • Helping • Job Openings

Agency Profile

Founded in 1965, SCCAC is one of six Community Action Agencies (CAAs) serving New Hampshire.

Serving the thirteen towns and cities of Strafford County, SCCAC programs include:

ENERGY
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Electric Assistance Program
Neighbor Helping Neighbor

HOUSING
Security Deposit Guarantee Loan Program
Weatherization Assistance Program
The Fixit Program

HOMELESSNESS
Homeless Outreach/Intervention
Rochester Homeless Housing Initiative

PARENTS/CHILDREN
Strafford County Head Start
Child Care
Traveling Tales
Summer Recreation

ELDERLY
Elderly Transportation
Personal Emergency Response

SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Workforce Development
Workplace Success
Self-Sufficiency Case Management

Community Outreach Offices link people in need with services that can help.

To access a comprehensive listing of available area services, click here for the

SERVICES DIRECTORY FOR STRAFFORD COUNTY
Eleventh Edition, Fall, 2005

What is a Community Action Agency?

CAAs are non-profit private and public organizations originally established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to fight America's War on Poverty. Today, there are nearly 1,000 CAAs across the United States, in fact CAAs can be found in 98 percent of our cities and counties. CAAs are a primary source of support for the more than 38 million Americans who are living in poverty in both rural and urban areas. Through their innovative programs, these CAAs are able to help thousands of people achieve self-sufficiency each year.

The core source of funding for CAAs comes from the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), which was created in 1981 by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. The CSBG channels federal funds through the states to local agencies to fight poverty and promote self-sufficiency. CSBG funding accounts for less than 10 percent of CAA funding. CAAs use these federal dollars to build and attract additional investments in their programs from state, local, and private sources. In fact, CAAs have consistently been successful in leveraging an average of $13 for every $1 of CSBG funding.

Most poverty-related organizations focus on a specific area of need, such as job training, health care, housing, or economic development. Community Action Agencies reach out to low-income people in their communities, address their multiple needs through a comprehensive approach, develop partnerships with other community organizations, involve low-income clients in the agency's operations, and administer a full range of coordinated programs designed to have a measurable impact on poverty.

SCCAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Like all CAAs, SCCAC is governed by a uniquely structured tripartite Board of Directors comprising representatives from public, private, and neighborhood sectors which oversees our programs and sets policies.

Other NH CAP agencies serve Hillsborough, Sullivan/Cheshire, Belknap/Merrimack, Coos/Carroll/Grafton, and Rockingham Counties.