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Community Action in Your Neighborhood
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CCA Builds Resilient Communities By Helping People Achieve Economic, Physical, and Emotional Security. | |
Your source for staying up to date with CCA's latest programming, happenings, stories, and more! | |
Tina Says...
Happy Spring! This is the time of year when change is so beautifully noticeable. The new leaves are a bright green that we don’t see at any other time of the year. The earth is coming alive again. Similarly, CCA is experiencing change and growth. This is nothing new – CCA, like our environment, undergoes changes all the time, because we respond to the needs of our community and our teams.
One of these changes is the creation of a new position at CCA…the Deputy Director. As I prepare for my own eventual retirement in the coming years, the Deputy will train with me and be prepared either to become the CEO or to guide the person selected by the board for that role. We believe that this will offer the opportunity for a smooth transition and excellent succession planning across all areas of the agency. We are delighted to announce that Andrew Studley has been named the new Deputy and assumed his role on April 24th. Andy has been with CCA for 12 years, and since 2020 has been the Chief Operating Officer for Services, overseeing Victim Services and Resilient & Healthy Families programs. We know Andy will do a great job, and we wish him the very best!
We also hope to expand our Property Management portfolio. Early in 2023, the Ellicottville Terrace Apartment complex was listed for sale. This Rural Development property offers 40 units of housing to low-income seniors and persons with disabling conditions. As CCA has experience with managing five other Rural Development properties, we hope that we will be positioned to assume ownership of this project as well so that the residents of this facility may remain in their homes.
Other changes that we are undertaking focus on the health and safety of our employees, volunteers, customers and residents. While CCA has a solid crisis response plan, we are re-evaluating this plan in light of the unfortunate culture of violence that our country is experiencing, and doing everything we can to strengthen our security. We are working with Cattaraugus County Emergency Services and others to improve safety measures and provide additional training for our staff.
Enjoy Spring and look for more changes to come!
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MAY IS NATIONAL COMMUNITY ACTION MONTH! | | |
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CCA Preservation Plus Project Completed in Buffalo, NY
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CCA’s Energy & Housing Department recently completed a $1.3 million dollar Preservation Plus rehabilitation project at St. John Towers in Buffalo, New York. SJT is a 150 unit, 9 story high rise subsidized housing project located in Buffalo’s Fruit Belt neighborhood. Rehabilitation measures included a 14,000 sq. ft. roof replacement, installation of air conditioners, door and window replacements, and upgrades to interior lighting and hot water systems. This is the first Preservation Plus project completion in New York State. | |
KINLY HILL SHELTER
RECEIVES BOMBAS SOCK DONATION
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In the Spring of 2023, CCA’s Kinley Hill homeless shelter received notice that we would receive 1,000 pairs of donated socks from Bombas. The socks will be given to single adult shelter residents and will be shared with local providers that also serve households experiencing homelessness.
The donation, which will be on site in May, marks the second time that the Kinley Hill shelter has been selected for the company’s giving program. Program staff are still distributing socks from the last donation and appreciate the opportunity to continue providing warm comfortable socks to shelter residents. They also look forward to sharing the socks with other providers. According to Jane Folts, Program Manager for the Kinley Hill shelter, “Homelessness has risen dramatically since the COVID pandemic, and we see so many people with so little. We often rely on donations for clothing, and it really makes someone’s day when they get something brand new just for them. The quality of the socks is amazing, and people are really excited to receive them.” A recent shelter told staff “It’s great to see that Bombas really does what it says.”
The Bombas website states "Our mission since day one has been to help those experiencing homelessness. That's why, for every item you purchase, we donate an item on your behalf." The sites goes on to say that they have donated "...more than 75 million items to more than 3,500 community organizations to date..."
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Maybe you’ve heard your colleagues talk about CCA’s RESPOND Team. But what is it? Is this the team that reacts to emergencies? Nope. Is it the team that answers all the questions in the universe? Well, maybe….but RESPOND stands for Respect, Empowerment Voice and Choice, Safety, Person Centered, Ongoing Change, and NEAR (Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experience and Resilience). Whoa. That’s a lot.
But really, it’s simple. RESPOND is the group of CCA employees that acts as the agency’s CHAMPIONS as we grow into trauma-informed care. They are the folks who are immersed in learning about all types of traumas, how to recognize them, how to interact with people who may have experienced trauma, how to bring this knowledge to everyone in the agency, and how to build resilient communities. We now know that any of us may have experienced adversity and that we all have the potential to become resilient. We now ask “What happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?”
Want to know more? The employees who come together regularly to RESPOND to trauma are Abby Blake, Amy Lanphere, Amy Cobb, Andy Studley, Anna Swanson, Aubrey Coast, Bre Abbott, Cassie Hinman, Christina Champlin, Corrie Phetteplace, Felicia Karnuth, Heather Thompson, Jodi Fuller, Jodi Olson, Kari Kennedy, Lisa Walters, Mary Mosley, Mason Maynard, Tina Zerbian, Wanda Gebauer, and Whitney Verbridge. Have a question about trauma, trauma-informed care, your role in our journey? Ask any one of these members….they can connect you with the right resources!
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BENEATH EVERY BEHAVIOR... | |
I was chatting with someone the other day about how early childhood trauma affects the brain and they couldn’t comprehend how the brain wouldn’t remember things but the body would. He couldn’t plug it into his understanding that rebellious or disobedient behavior could actually be a manifestation of childhood trauma. A child couldn’t possibly be cognitively be aware of that choice between selfishness “I want it” mentality vs. “I can’t help it” behavior. So how would one be able to discern whether a child’s behavior is simply a matter of exerting control over their lives, or that their behavior is a protection mechanism that their body has learned from trauma? Which is it? Is there something wrong with you, or is this about something that happened TO you? For parents, teachers, caseworkers, business owners and everyone else, this is certainly a hot topic, and no doubt a daily dilemma, when it comes to understanding child abuse in all of its evil forms. I want to encourage you that even in our busy schedules, it is imperative that we give our hearts, minds and souls to the work of understanding trauma and how childhood abuse exacerbates behaviors in adolescence and young adult years. We owe it to future generations to help them build resilience by preventing childhood abuse. Remember its only information plus application that yields transformation! As you learn more, you’ll know more and see more! ~ Al Meyers | |
FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE GRADUATES! | |
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On April 24th, CCA's fatherhood program graduated nine dads! Congratulations!
Our current FH class has eight participants, and they are set to graduate on May 3rd!
The next group will be starting on May 15th and will run through June 21st. Our classes are at Universal Primary Care on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 - 3 pm.
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CCA CHANNEL 7 NEWS INTERVIEW | |
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Katie Morse of Channel 7 News visited Connecting Communities in Action on Friday, April 28th, to talk with Corrie Phetteplace, Director of Resilient & Healthy Families, and Charles Giambrone, long-time Salamanca resident, about food insecurity, specifically in rural communities. We discussed the needs of clients in a rural community vs urban, transportation being a huge hurdle for families and individuals seeking services.
Focus was on the Jim Vreeland Community Garden on the grounds of CCA, and with the recent improvements, we've increased the amount of produce we are able to glean. We also focused on the increased need we are seeing in the Community Kitchen and averaging about 800 meals a month, including wraparound services clients can receive through CCA.
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SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH | |
For Sexual Assault Awareness Month this April, we hope to open the door to talk about equity. The National Violence Resource Center notes that “systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, and others contribute to higher rates of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse.” Marginalized groups, such as people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community, are more likely to experience sexual violence in their lifetime. At CCA, we hope to create an environment that welcomes and supports all regardless of background and experiences. Please call us at 1-888-945-3970. | | |
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We hope to discuss and create spaces where children and survivors feel safe. #CCA works diligently through outreach, prevention education, and direct service efforts to make sure survivors get the resources and support they need, and we hope to see community support for these causes as well. Join us, not just in April but always, as we strive to create equitable spaces and resources for survivors. At CCA, we strive to meet survivors where they’re at to make them feel seen and heard. No matter how you identify, we are here to support and empower you.
24-HOUR VICTIM SERVICES HOTLINE: 1-888-945-3970
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CCA STAFF ATTEND EMERGING LEADERS INSTITUTE | |
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CCA's Aubrey Coast (Resilient & Healthy Families) and Olivia Brooks (Transitional Services) recently participated in the Emerging Leaders Institute in Syracuse, New York, on April 18th and 19th. A few sessions in which they participated included effective communication and strategic planning.
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CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH | |
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CCA organized a t-shirt fundraiser throughout the county to spread awareness Child Abuse Prevention. We sold a total of 47 items and raised $300 to be used for future child abuse awareness activities!
On April 21st, we went #GoBlue4NYKids to show our support.
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The week of April 16th - 22nd is National Volunteer Week. | |
Thank you, CCA Board Officers! | |
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APRIL
12 YEARS:
11 YEARS:
8 YEARS:
5 YEARS:
4 YEARS:
3 YEARS:
1 YEAR:
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MAY
28 YEARS:
7 YEARS:
6 YEARS:
- Jenna Golden
- Jeffrey Hampshire
5 YEARS:
- Shane Bowser
- Jessica Farnham
2 YEARS:
- Heather Thompson
- Deveon Spaeth
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JUNE
16 YEARS:
8 YEARS:
7 YEARS:
- Bonnie Babcock
- Anna Marie Swanson
5 YEARS:
2 YEARS:
- Abigail Blake
- Jesse Champlin
- Melissa Slater
1 YEAR:
- Alexandria Jansens
- McKenzie Slocum
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Connecting Communities in Action
25 Jefferson Street
Salamanca, New York 14779
(716) 945-1041
www.ccaction.org
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