Gulf Coast Community Action Agency

The Gulf Coast Community Action Agency, based in Wiggins, MS, is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families in the community by providing a variety of support services and initiatives aimed at fighting poverty. They prioritize a whole-community approach, empowering residents to help themselves and each other through various programs, training, and resources. As part of a national network, the agency embodies the spirit of hope and cooperation through its commitment to community action and economic mobility. The organization's focus is on enhancing community well-being and fostering a collaborative environment that helps create better living conditions for all. Generated from the website

The Drug Education Council is a licensed agency serving the state of Alabama, with offices in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Committed to promoting healthy choices and changing the community narrative on substance use disorder and addiction, they offer a range of prevention programs and services based on the belief that every individual is important and deserves nurturing, and that addiction is treatable and recovery is possible. With a comprehensive approach to prevention, the Drug Education Council focuses on reducing risk factors and increasing protective resiliency factors in the populations they serve. They emphasize community involvement and collaboration, tailoring prevention messages to different population groups, and integrating prevention into the general health care and social services delivery systems of the community. Their continuum of services includes education, information dissemination, intervention, referral, and recovery support.Generated from the website

ackson County Civic Action Committee, Inc was founded on Aug. 31, 1965. The nonprofit, tax-exempt agency is a member of the Community Action Partnership. JCCAC is led by Executive Director Diann Payne and a Board of Directors selected from the community. JCCAC is one of more than a thousand Community Action Agencies ( CAA ) across the country founded as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society In his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964, President Johnson proposed legislation he dubbed the War on Poverty. The Economic Opportunity Act passed on August 20, 1964. It created the now-defunct Office of Economic Opportunity. The OEO would found programs such as Head Start, Volunteers In Service To America ( VISTA ) and Job Corps as well as Community Action Programs The purpose of the Community Action Agencies is to empower the poor in effort to fight poverty. CAAs rely heavily on volunteer work and are funded largely through the Community Service Block Grant program. These Agencies work to promote self-sufficiency. Boards of CAAs are populated by representatives from public officials, the private sector and the poor. CAAs help their communities by promoting volunteerism and citizen participation, providing utility bill assistance for low-income individuals, administration of Head Start pre-school programs, job training and operating food pantries. JCCAC, in partnership with the America's Promise Alliance, facilitates a number of programs directed at youth and education. America's Promise was founded in 1997 with General Colin Powell as Chairman and is currently chaired by his mother, Alma Powell. America's Promise Alliance is a cross-sector partnership of more than 300 corporations, nonprofits, faith-based organizations and advocacy groups. America's Promise has established its list of five Promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places, A Healthy Start, Effective Education and Opportunities to Help Others. Through these promises, JCCAC is hoping to reduce Mississippi's already grim drop-out rate. In 2007, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Promise Zone was established. As lead agency, JCCAC facilitates a number of programs aimed at reducing the drop-out rate and improving the lives of local children. Through school-based programs, JCCAC has formed partnerships with area public schools to implement valuable programs to a large number of students.