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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 27, 2002 <br /> Action Agen a <br /> Item No. <br /> SUBJECT: Contract for Faith Community Coordinator <br /> DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Nancy Coston, ext 2800 <br /> Contract with Morgan and Associates <br /> Endeavors Article TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br /> Hillsborough 732-8181 <br /> Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br /> Durham 688-7331 <br /> Mebane 336-227-2031 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve the continuation of a contract with Morgan and Associates for the <br /> development of partnerships with various faith communities focusing on improved job retention <br /> for Work First participants. <br /> BACKGROUND: After five years, welfare reform continues to be an emotional and highly <br /> debated topic. One constant in the debate on welfare reform has been that government alone <br /> cannot help families achieve economic self-sufficiency. The work of faith-based or religious <br /> groups is critical to program success. The contributions of the faith community in reaching out <br /> to vulnerable families and encouraging them to make the transition have been applauded on <br /> 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 Force, 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 successful in <br /> engaging local faith organizations to support the individuals in the agency's work programs. <br /> Counties have duplicated the model used in Orange County across the state and some material <br /> was used by Project Jubilee to develop the Families First Program. <br /> Winnie Morgan, Program Coordinator, works tirelessly. She has developed 10 faith-based <br /> teams who are matched with families to provide moral support, assist in job search activities, <br /> tutor children, and provide transportation. Through this initiative, the faith community has <br /> provided a coordinated response to 53 families with varied and complex problems. Ms. Morgan <br /> and the team remain in contact with families after they transition off welfare, providing an <br /> extremely important support system for these families. She has developed a clothing closet for <br /> families needing job-appropriate clothing, recruits sponsors for summer camp annually, and has <br /> identified eight individuals to donate cars to a Work First family. Ms. Morgan's <br />