Chickasaw Nation
Grant: $56,333 - Administration for Children and Families - Apr. 10, 2009
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Award Description: Over the years the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) has provided essential help to low-income Native American families struggling economically. The CSBG Recovery Act proposal was designed ?to provide services that address employment, education, housing, nutrition and emergency services to combat the central causes of poverty and to assist Native Americans to become either self sufficient or to remain self sufficient. Acquiring or retaining employment will be the main goal addressed.? Eligibility criteria proposed was the person must be an Indian resident of the Chickasaw Nation and meet the current year poverty income guidelines as issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A family could be assisted one time within the fiscal year and could not receive any assistance from the other concurrent CSBG program. The amount of assistance could not exceed $50 for food and $300 for other services. Distribution and allocation of CSBG Recovery Act funds was to be distributed to the six area offices that serve the Chickasaw Nation and the allocation was client based. Specifically, clients are served in the following Oklahoma counties?Grady, McClain, Garvin, Pontotoc, Stephens, Carter, Murray, Johnston, Jefferson, Love and Marshall. The western section of Coal and Bryan are also served.
Project Description: When a family came in an area office to request assistance, the resource specialist interviewed the family to assess the client?s immediate situation and to determine the appropriate assistance program, if needed. If the family is eligible for the Recovery Program, they are assisted using one of three sub-categories: self-sufficiency, food and crisis. Self-sufficiency meant the family needed assistance in either obtaining employment or maintaining employment. Some examples of assistance included the following: child care at licensed facilities was paid so minimum wage employees could remain working; utility bills were paid so people could continue working by coming to work in clean clothes; rent was paid so minimum wage people who lived near their work and had no transportation could remain working. Another category is food but is not being used because there are several programs that provide food such WIC, Food Stamps, etc. The category was included, because at times there is a time lag between applying and receiving assistance. The final category is crisis. This category is used when a person/family was in crisis. One example; a single mother left an abusive marriage and in order to move into an apartment, she received assistance from Family and Domestic Advocacy and applied for rental assistance to help with rent until she could pay her rent. The rental application, however, had not been approved by the time the rent was due and she only had enough money to pay a portion of the rent. This program paid the remaining amount which resulted in the mother being able to stay in her new apartment and keep her job. As of Sept 30, 2009, 173 eligible individuals and/or families have been awarded help ranging from $25.26 to $300.00. The average award was $193.
Jobs Summary: No direct jobs created with this grant. (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Apr. 10, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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