by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Aug 16, 2019 | Building a Stronger Fayette
Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center (CACTC) opened the Career Café, a student-run store that sells food items, clothing, and supplies in May 2019. Following CACTC’s mission and vision to prepare every student with academic, technical, and career skills needed to enter the workforce and to pursue continuing education, the Career Café provides unique opportunities to build skills.
The CFFC awarded CACTC a Fall 2018 grant for the Career Café, which is operated by the Building and Trades Program students under the supervision of their teacher, Mr. Bill Guess. The goal is to help improve secondary transition opportunities that will prepare students for life after high school, including post-secondary education or training, employment, and community living.
Dr. Shawna Little, Workforce Development Coordinator, noted the importance of soft skills in the workforce, such as customer service, communication, and conflict resolution. The Career Café provides students with real-world work experience in the popular, and in-demand, industry of retail. Particularly for students with disabilities, these opportunities help develop transferable skills that target goals set in their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).
Before the Career Café opened for business, there were ten students who put their vocational skills to work by organizing the space. They built the counter area and helped transform the classroom, which was brought to life with the Appalachian Creativity Center’s full-room mural. “The students worked as a team, communicated and collaborated effectively, and created a finished project from scratch,” said Dr. Little. To learn more about CACTC, visit their website!
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Aug 12, 2019 | Uncategorized
Council on Foundations describes community foundations in the following:
“Community foundations are grantmaking public charities that are dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. They bring together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities. Community foundations vary widely in asset size, ranging from less than $100,000 to more than $1.7 billion.
Community foundations play a key role in identifying and solving community problems. In 2017, they gave an estimated $5.48 billion to a variety of nonprofit activities in fields that included the arts and education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief. The Community Foundations National Standards Board confirms operational excellence in six key areas—mission, structure, and governance; resource development; stewardship and accountability; grantmaking and community leadership; donor relations; and communications. Foundations that comply with these standards can display the official National Standards Seal. Currently, over 500 community foundations have earned the seal.”
by Community Foundation of Fayette County | Aug 7, 2019 | Building a Stronger Fayette
“The first year raising an infant is often the most difficult, so our goal is to help parents be prepared, feel comfortable, and be successful during that time,” said Executive Director Andrea Pritts. Alternatives.Yes Pregnancy Support Center provides free and confidential services to women and men experiencing a pregnancy or caring for an infant. The CFFC awarded the organization a grant to support the Earn While You Learn Pregnancy, Parenting and Life Skills Program.
The Earn While You Learn program provides “Baby Bucks” for moms and dads to spend or accumulate at the Alternatives.Yes pantry after each educational session. The pantry is stocked with baby, children, and maternity clothing, as well as diapers, washcloths, bottles, food, formula, toys, car seats, and other supplies needed for raising an infant. They provide roughly 100 free classes, which follow a curriculum, using videos, manuals, and other educational materials during sessions.
Pritts said, “We are thankful for the Community Foundation being one of our bigger grantors. We always look for new funding opportunities too.” She noted their appreciation of churches that help with diaper or clothing drives, volunteers, and pantry donations that help support the educational opportunities and material items that Altenatives.Yes provides.
The mission of Alternatives.Yes is “to help those facing pregnancy and to provide life-affirming services that protect and enhance their lives, their children, and their families through pregnancy and beyond.” Learn more about Earn While You Learn and other programs at the Alternatives.Yes website!
