Non-profit agency rebrands to serve wider community

SALT LAKE CITY - July 27, 2016 - PRLog -- Salt Lake Community Action Program has rebranded to reflect their expansion of services and wider service area. The agency, committed to ending poverty, is now known as Utah Community Action.

The new name was launched at a Lunch and Learn event on July 14^th, where community partners, donors and the media gathered at the Utah Community Action Central Kitchen. Guests ate a lunch prepared by the same kitchen staff who serve 4500 meals each day to Head Start classrooms and other nonprofits and schools around the Salt Lake Valley. Attendees also gathered information on each Utah Community Action program in a "gallery stroll."

Erin Trenbeath-Murray, CEO of Utah Community Action, said, "We chose to include 'Utah' in our name to let the community know that our programs extend beyond the borders of Salt Lake and Tooele counties. Our new name reflects our cultural belief that 'We Are One' – though our programs focus on different needs and clients, we work collaboratively internally, with other non-profit partners, and with our sister CAP agencies to address the many factors that block the path to self-sufficiency."

Utah Community Action administers six programs that aim to address the complex causes of poverty:

1.    Adult Education

2.    Case Management & Housing

3.    Head Start & Early Head Start

4.    HEAT

5.    Nutrition

6.    Weatherization

Clients needing assistance are evaluated through a comprehensive case management approach, and Utah Community Action staff is able to meet basic needs in many categories: education and job training, early childhood education, housing, utility and food assistance, and more.

"One of the things that's unique and exciting about Utah Community Action is our holistic approach to case management," said Afton January, Special Projects Manager for Utah Community Action. "When families come to us for assistance, they meet with a case manager who looks at external and internal partners to make sure all the family's needs are addressed. We refer clients not only to our programming, but also to other innovative programs available in the community."

One example of this strategy is Utah Community Action's Head Start application process. This program is often a "point of entry" for low-income families who use the agency's services. Families signing children up for this free preschool program are asked to identify their strengths and provide information on areas where they struggle. Families can access affordable housing assistance, food crisis services, and more – programs they were unaware of before engaging with Head Start.

"We are confident this approach leads to greater self-sufficiency for our clients," said Erin Trenbeath-Murray.

For more information and photos of the Lunch & Learn event, please contact Haley Eckels.

Media Contact:

Haley Eckels, Communications Manager

801-410-5736

haley.eckels@slcap.org

About Utah Community Action

Since 1965, Utah Community Action (formerly known as Salt Lake Community Action Program) has provided comprehensive services that address the many factors that affect an individual's ability to attain self-sufficiency. Our holistic services address many needs: early childhood and adult education, housing, holistic case management, employment, food security, health, and crisis services.