|
BLUEPRINTS |
|
Blueprints is a 501c3 change agency that shapes futures by equipping and educating people to improve their lives. Powered by community action, and proud of our legacy of strengthening and serving our community, we stand committed to the mission of the community action movement.
Blueprints operates 35+ programs that now help nearly 20,000 people annually. We serve our neighbors from cradle to gray, and we provide assistance at all income levels, though most fall in the lower income bracket. All of Blueprints services are delivered in a “quilted” or seamless manner, in order to provide entire families with options needed to maximize self-sufficiency. It is our intention to provide a depth of service that changes the trajectory of people’s lives and works to sustain those changes over time. For more information about Blueprints programs, visit our website at www.myblueprints.org or contact 1-877-814-0788. In the early 1960’s, 35 million Americans were living in poverty and the national poverty rate was more than 20%. In 1964, during his State of the Union Address, LBJ declared war on poverty. Shortly thereafter, he signed the Economic Opportunity Act, which created the Community Action movement, Head Start, Job Corps and many other programs and organizations that still endure today. In June of 1965, local leaders in our area created the Washington-Greene Community Action Corporation to “mobilize resources to combat poverty.” Blueprints, as we now know it, grew from a small summer Head Start program with an original operating budget of $46,000 and a handful of staff, to a comprehensive human service agency with 350 employees that serve nearly 20,000 low-income individuals and families every year. Support from Greene County United Way allows us to more adequately address senior hunger and isolation by offsetting the expense of our Home Delivered Meals and Volunteer programs for Greene County’s homebound elderly. The Home Delivered Meal Program is an exceedingly valuable asset to the community, providing over 66,000 meals per year to 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. Volunteers provide a safety check, assess “changes in condition” and report 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, Grocery Delivery, 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 Stacey Mason 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. |