Mecklenburg County Announces Spring Opening of the Second Community Resource Center

The Mecklenburg County Community Resource Center (CRC) is scheduled to open its second community-based facility in the Spring of 2023, offering both government and community partner services in a single, centralized location to residence.

Since opening its first CRC in 2018, it has served more than 214,000 customers with services such as Food and Nutrition Services (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Child Support, Emergency Financial Services, Veterans Services, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Immunizations and other assistance via an integrated service delivery model focused on helping individuals and families move forward into greater independence and well-being. An average of 5,809 customers per month have accessed services at the CRC, and about one in every nine CRC customers (11%) access more than one service within a single visit to the facility.

Through the CRC’s collaborative approach, residents may also access community partner services that address their most critical needs including access to food (Loaves and Fishes), educational resources (Communities in Schools and Central Piedmont Community College), employment (NC Works), eviction prevention (Legal Aid of NC) and improved access to healthcare resources (Novant Health and ARJ Inc.) among others.

The county is very appreciative of the support of federal partners such as the Administration for Children and Families who has committed to a continued partnership of achieving best practices in the delivery of integrated services at the county level considering interoperability of systems and coordinating policy implementation efforts between the state and county stakeholders.

Other CRC federal support include:

1. Congresswoman Alma Adams’ office secured report language for CRCs that was included in the FY20 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill report and increased funding for the Social Services Research and Demonstration Program by $500,000. Community Resource Centers. — The Committee directs the program to research how centralized community resource centers, which allow citizens to apply for several Federal social services in a single location, can reduce the burden on constituents and ensure the cost-effective allocation of Federal resources.

2. Received technical assistance on program development and evaluation received through the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) and Mathematica.

3. Received $1,000,000 in Community Project Funding through the FY22 appropriations cycle for the CRC’s United Workforce Development (UWFD) Program. UWFD provides individuals who may face significant barriers with access to upward mobility and economic stability through integrative services and economic placement, helping increase employment opportunities for program participants while reducing their reliance on public support programs.

Lastly, Mecklenburg County is proud of the work that has been accomplished thus far and offered these examples to highlight the success experienced by their community members who accessed services through the CRC. 

• In 2021, an Army veteran and his wife relocated from Mississippi to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a better life and opportunities. He visited the CRC in need of Veteran Services, Food & Nutrition, and Housing services for his family. The customer was referred to NC Works to assist him with employment, training, and career development. After assessing his situation; resume review/updating; several mock interviews; budget review; and providing resources to assist with his barriers to employment the veteran gained full-time career employment earning $30 per hour or $62,000 a year. He also secured a Veteran Home Loan to purchase his own home. According to this customer, the CRC is the “birthplace” of his career in Charlotte. He refers others to receive services at the CRC because he believes in the building and the people who work there.

• A 25-year-old mother of two visited the CRC in July 2022 seeking assistance with employment. Though she had the support of family and friends, she had previously not been successful in obtaining employment. Her career focus was on administrative, call center, or customer service jobs with a career pathway. She received assistance from a Unified Workforce Development social worker with accessing childcare services to increase her ability to seek and obtain employment. She enrolled in the Working Smart soft skills training to prepare her to obtain and retain employment. The customer obtained an administrative assistant position with a local non-profit earning $20 per hour or $41,000 a year, starting a career pathway with the agency. The customer continues to receive support through job retention services, access to childcare, and goal setting with her social worker at the CRC.

• A justice-involved male was referred to the CRC for employment and other services to address his critical needs. He experienced barriers to finding employment due to his background and not being able to obtain a driver’s license. While accessing services at the CRC, he applied for and received Food and Nutrition Services and worked with a Unified Workforce Development social worker who assisted him with a letter of explanation for his criminal background and provided him with job opportunities. In August 2022, the customer obtained employment as a web content manager, working remotely, and earning $50 per hour or $104,000 a year.

To get updates and learn more about Mecklenburg County visit:

https://www.mecknc.gov/Pages/Home.aspx

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