SOUTHWEST MINORITY EDA 7 -2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ -.."I II. APPLICATION SUMMARY In the space below, summarize the components of your program. This summary should be BRIEF - detailed information conceming these areas of interest will be requested in subsequent pages of this application. This summary must include: 1. A description of the program/project. 2. A needs statement. What is the purpose of the programlproject? What is the need for this program in Santa Ana? 3. Goals and objectives of the program 4. Organizational qualifications to implement the program. Southwest Minority Economic Development AssociationlSouthwest Communitv Center's (SMEDAlSWCC) primarv mission is to provide food. clothina. shelter. auidance. health and referral services to economicallv disadvantaaed individuals and families. and to encouraae those we assist to achieve self-sufficiencv. We achieve this mission in several ways. We serve two hot meals everv day of the week to anyone who is in need. We provide baas of food to help families make ends meet within their tiaht budaets. Over half of those who receive supplemental food from us are children. We have a laroe population of Senior citizens and homeless individuals who also seek and receive emeraencv food assistance. We offer housina assistance to prevent families from beina evicted from their homes. Throuah our clothina distribution proaram. we offer families and individuals clothina for children to attend school. to seek emplovment or ao to work. We offer health {phvsical and mental) screenina and counselina. We network with local emplovers and emplovment aoencies to make iob announcements available to assist our homeless individuals and unemploved clients find emplovment. As a part of these services. we also assist clients to develop and prepare resumes. Durina maior holidavs. we have an on-site party to entertain children. And. on weekends. we offer a storv hour for the children. We have beaun look/no into other avenues to expand our services to children and thus beain them on the path to self-sufficiencv earlv. More than 90% of our client population is made UP of low-income families. senior citizens and homeless individuals. As the economy has declined and full-time iobs have become scarce. we have seen an increase of the number of low~income families and fixed income senior citizens and homeless individuals and families seekina assistance. At the end of the fiscal Year. our overall client population. for meals alone. more than doubled. The staff and volunteers. who provide services. are aualified to implement our proarams. For the most part. these individuals have had experience in workina with the type of individuals who constitutes SMEDA's client population. or have. in the past. been clients themselves. We reaularly attend trainina seminars and workshops to improve their level of skill and understandina of current trends and clients' needs. Thev often network with other social service orQanizations to ensure the best Quality of service. SMEDA has been successfully proyidina services to the underoriyileaed and underserved for more than 31 years. Our success stories include many who have been aiyen assistance and have secured emplovment thus passina them throuah to self-sufficiencv. In the past year. amona other services. we served over 100.000 hot meals and distributed more than 50 tons of clothina and more than 11.000 food baas. L X EXHIBIT A