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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: ,lone 27, 2006 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5-k <br />SUBJECT: Contract Renewal with Morgan and Associates for Faith Community <br />Coordinator <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Renewal Contract with Morgan and <br />Associates <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston, 245-2800 <br />Gwen Price, 245-2800 <br />PURPOSE: To renew a contract with Morgan and Associates far the development of <br />partnerships with various faith communities focusing on improved job retention for Work First <br />participants. <br />BACKGROUND: One constant in the debate on welfare reform has been that government <br />alone cannot help families achieve economic self-sufficiency. The work of faith-based or <br />religious groups is critical to program success. The contributions of the faith community in <br />reaching out to vulnerable families and encouraging them to make the transition have been <br />applauded on the federal, state, and local levels. <br />Orange County has contracted with Morgan and Associates since July 1999, Based on <br />recommendations from the Welfare Reform Task Farce, Orange County contracted for a Faith <br />Community Coordinator, The Department of Social Services currently contracts with Morgan <br />and Associates to develop awareness and partnerships in the religious community that support <br />Work First families as they move from welfare to work, This contract has been successflal in <br />engaging local faith organizations to support the individuals in the agency's work programs. <br />Counties across the State have duplicated the model used in Orange County and some <br />material was used by Project .lubilee to develop the Families First Program. <br />Winnie Morgan, program coordinator, has developed 12 faith-based teams who are matched <br />with families to provide moral support, assist in jab search activities, tutor children, and provide <br />transportation. Through this initiative, the faith community has provided a coordinated response <br />to 38 families this year. Ms. Morgan and the team remain in contact with families after they <br />transition off of welfare, providing an extremely important support system for these families. <br />She has developed a clothing closet far families needing jab appropriate clothing; she recruits <br />sponsors for summer camp annually, and she has identified individuals to donate cars to a <br />Work First family, Winnie Morgan developed a new program this year with University United <br />