Green Hills Community Action Agency opened its doors last Thursday afternoon to share brownies, punch, and some exciting news with Daviess County.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
The agency has adopted for its motto: Strong Families = Strong Communities. With this in mind, the efforts of community action staff have been and will continue to be focused on implementing programs which will help individuals and families to gain the skills they need in order to be prosperous.
Phyllis Heckenbach, who was appointed as the new Daviess County Director in January of 2008 is very enthusiastic about the new vision of the agency. “One of the things we are really excited about is the Enhanced Skills Workshops. Not only are they informative, but they’re really fun!”
Heckenbach has been asked by the agency to plan and implement workshops for both Daviess and Harrison Counties. In the past couple of months she has arranged for a Ladies’ Day Out with Judith O’Day, a multi-session diabetes workshop through University of Missouri Extension, and even a Creative Spending class taught by Rebecca Travnichek. She also regularly holds workshops on Renter’s Rights and Responsibilities in connection with the agency’s Section 8 Rental Assistance Program.
Future workshops on the horizon include “You’re Living in Tornado Alley?” “What are you thinking!” and “Family Enrichment Activities on a Budget.” “We just really want to provide something useful and helpful and to do it in a fun way,” she explains. “In a workshop format, we can do things beyond just help with immediate crisis needs. We can help families plan for their future and learn things that will help them stay strong.”
Heckenbach is assisted in Daviess County by a new Community Coordinator, Cheri Battrick who has been with Green Hills in various capacities for nearly four years. “Initially I worked for the Women’s Shelter, and then with a pilot project in Grundy County to determine best practices for helping families become self-sufficient. The most exciting thing for me is that now I get to take what I’ve learned and use it to help families in the county where I live.”
Battrick is responsible for implementing the agency’s Family Support Program and PETS Project (Pre-Employment Training Skills) in both Daviess and Harrison Counties. Both programs target those who are seeking to upgrade their education and/or employment. Through the Family Support Program, she provides weekly support on an individual basis, and assembles a team of community partners who meet monthly with the customer to troubleshoot issues and barriers. Mentoring is also available to those in the program.
Through the PETS Project, participants are tested regarding skills, aptitudes, interests, and abilities; assisted in selecting a career path and suitable education as well as employment opportunities; and provided with training in resume’ creation and interviewing skills.
“It’s the personal contact that makes these programs successful,” she explains. “If you meet people on their own turf and you open your eyes, you begin to see the underlying issues that may never come out when meeting in your office. It’s only when you can fully understand the underlying barriers to prosperity and what people’s hopes and dreams are, that you can really assist with the things that will make the biggest difference.”
During the open house, Heckenbach and Battrick met many members of the community and had a chance to share copies of “Our Community in Action” a quarterly newsletter published by GHCAA focusing on the efforts of community action in Daviess county. “We hope that the newsletter will help people understand what we do, because we all need to work together to strengthen our community. When we strengthen families, the whole community is strengthened. It’s as simple as that,” Heckenbach explained.
Members of the Advisory Board for the Daviess County office were on hand to answer questions, greet the public and participate in a balloon release in between afternoon rain showers. The balloons were released as a visual expression of how the efforts of community action truly lift people up and provide them with a broader view of the world and the understanding that their efforts can change it for the better.
If you would like more information about the programs and services available through Green Hills Community Action or if you would like to receive their quarterly newsletter, contact Phyllis or Cheri at 660-663-3211.