BLUEPRINTS
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Blueprints is a change agency that shapes futures by equipping and educating people to improve their lives. Recent expansion in programming and geography has sparked a rebranding of our organization in name and message. Our mission remains the same - to serve as the catalyst to mobilize the resources of the entire community to enable families and individuals in our service area to attain the skills, opportunities and knowledge to become self-sufficient. Blueprints operates 35+ programs that now serves nearly 20,000 low-income clients each year.
Each of our programs fits within one of our four service pillars: MIND: From ABCs to GEDs and beyond, we help clients learn everything needed to build futures through programs including Early Head Start, Head Start, Pre-Kindergarten, Adult Education, Family Literacy, Computer Classes, Postsecondary Transitions and Truancy Prevention. HOME: From safety for kids to stability for families, we help clients establish a place to live and thrive through programs including Foster Care and Adoption, Independent and Transitional Living, Home Ownership Center and Rental and Utility Assistance. HEALTH: From health checks to healthy greens and grains, we help clients stay active and strong through programs including Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Senior Centers, Care Management, Ombudsman and Home Delivered Meals. WALLET: From budget basics to savings strategies, we help clients earn and balance livable wages through programs including Financial Literacy, Matched Savings Accounts, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Welfare to Work and Job Development. A Home Delivered Meals consumer was able to press his medical alert button after falling in his home. His wife, who works out of the area was alerted and she contacted our Senior Center to request that a staff person check on him since she was much farther away. When staff arrived at the residence, he was found on the floor. Staff contacted an ambulance and stayed with him until family arrived. Consumer was transported to the hospital where he was later diagnosed with a serious medical condition. His family was grateful that Blueprints responded quickly and was able to get him the help he needed. Blueprints’ Home Delivered Meal Program is an exceedingly valuable asset to the community, providing over 54,000 meals per year to vulnerable Greene County’s older population, which are delivered by volunteer drivers. Home delivered meals provide a community-based and community-supported system for helping people remain independent in their homes. It also provides early identification and outreach to older adults who may be in need of additional services. This safety program places a volunteer in the elderly person’s home on a daily basis Monday through Friday. Volunteers have the opportunity to assess the situation and report any concerns to trained staff who then provide linkages to needed services. Blueprints’ RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program) of Greene County offers meaningful and rewarding volunteer opportunities for adults ages 55 and older. Volunteer opportunities include: Financial Literacy Course Instructors, Head Start Classroom Mentors, Home Delivered Meals Drivers, Telephone Reassurance and VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). This is a great way to meet new people and make a difference in your community! For more information about volunteering with RSVP, contact Jill Peth at 724-852-2893 or visit www.myblueprints.org. This project is funded, in part, under a contract with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging through a grant from the PA Department on Aging, the Corporation for National and Community Service and by the Greene County United Way. |