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Salisbury Rowan Community Action Agency, Inc. • Identify specific improvements, or results, to be achieved among low- income people and the community; and • Organize and implement programs, services, and activities, such as advocacy, within the agency and among "partnering" organizations, to achieve anticipated results. Since the Board meets annually the strategic plan is a living document which the Board and the Executive Director use to ensure that the services delivered to low- income families meet their needs. The current focus of the Board is on becoming a performance -based organization Therefore, the Board and the Executive Director will continue to develop strategies of excellence for the organization to help them plan for becoming an organization that is cognizant of what works best when serving low- income families and how SRCAA can do that well. 2. Describe your agency's method and criteria for identifying poverty causes and list the identified causes. Also describe the methods and criteria used to determine priority and selection of strategies to be implemented that will address the poverty causes. Our agency identifies poverty causes by staying abreast of current literature on poverty, being active in the North Carolina and National Community Action Agency Associations, attending conferences, workshops and State (OEO) conferences, being knowledgeable about the communities and the participants in those communities, and assessing community need by asking low- income people and the agencies who serve them what those causes are. In 2012 the Community Assessment process conducted (for our agency by a Head Start consultant) included a needs assessment and planning process that asked not only low income individuals but partners about changes in the socio - economic landscape of our counties, state and our nation. The Head Start requirement for this assessment is every three years (The 2015 Head Start Community Assessment is currently in process). During the last two years, one notable gap in services at SRCAA is the lack of Latino participation in the CSBG program. The Head Start Community Assessment conducted in 2012 indicated the need for increased services to these families to more adequately reflect the county demographic populations where CSBG programs are located (Rowan and Cabarrus). During the 2014 — 2015 fiscal program year, SRCAA contracted with a Hispanic consultant with the goal of increasing SRCAA's ability to serve the population. Several families were served and applicants continue to be waitlisted. Beginning summer, 2015, SRCAA in partnership with Rowan Cabarrus Community College (RCCC), became a satellite site for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. SRCAA is currently hosting its second class. This effort to reach more diverse low- income families further demonstrates the staffs willingness to implement a specific strategy while addressing an element of the strategic plan. Certain factors that are determined to impact poverty or change the current landscape are consistent over the years. However, other socio /environmental factors such as economic downturns, fluctuation in the job market, growth in various industries or simultaneous decline in others, impact communities and the ability of residents to gain, maintain or improve employment options. Based on the Community Assessment and other methods of feedback from our participants, the Board and Program staff determines and prioritize the service delivery strategies that can be implemented to best meet the needs of low- income persons. Strategies that have been used in the past and some new strategies to address poverty causes include: Fiscal Year 2016 -17 Community Services Block Grant Application Page 8 of 28 Attachment number 2 \n F -11 Page 294