IDAHO FALLS — Since 1968, local nonprofit East Idaho Community Action Partnership has served east Idaho communities by providing essential services to those in need, and it’s going strong today.
“So what we are trying to accomplish is help lift people out of crisis. And if we can lift them out of crisis, can we help them thrive? And when they thrive, they seem to want to come back and serve,” said John Radford, chief executive officer of the organization.
Radford explained that there is more opportunity to give people a helping hand up, rather than a handout. Often, people just need to catch a break to get back on their feet.
“I think there’s this assumption that there’s this permanent underclass of poverty and that people are somehow choosing that lifestyle. … (But a recent study showed) that in a 10-year period, 40% of people dipped under the poverty line for one year out of 10,” Radford said.
Radford has served as the executive director of EICAP for two years. He was drawn to the position due to his strong commitment to public service.
“I can go work in this sphere where we help lift people out of poverty, and I can do that full time, and I can have that be my day-to-day job,” said Radford.
Radford discussed several of the flagship programs provided by EICAP.
Head Start
Head Start is an early childhood development program.
Julie Weston, a volunteer who serves on EICAP’s board of directors, began her time with EICAP volunteering in Head Start classrooms. Before she was a volunteer, though, Weston was a mother who wanted to be more involved with her children’s education.
Weston’s daughters attended Head Start, and Weston says the community she found there is part of what made her want to volunteer.
“It’s more than just a public school preschool. It is very family-oriented, so (EICAP) tries their hardest to make it more than just a daycare,” said Weston.
Parents and family are encouraged to take an active role in their children’s education, and Weston says that by itself can have a large impact on the kids. But EICAP also has the tools to address serious issues like development delays.
“But then there’s also the aspect of the program that is super helpful in regards to to like, both my girls had speech delays, and going through the program has helped tremendously. One of my girls is actually on track for being on the kindergarten level of speech, which is amazing,” said Weston.
Weston said Head Start can have an impact on things as simple as socialization skills and a child’s confidence.
“(Some kids), they’re not used to being in public settings, and the Head Start program helped tremendously with trying to get them comfortable in new environments. Seeing the progression for them to go from constantly crying and screaming for mom to now being happy, laughing, interacting with the other kids. It’s definitely been amazing to see the impact Head Start has made on a lot of children,” said Weston.
Help with energy bills
EICAP also offers services like Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and weatherization services.
LIHEAP is a service that provides a few hundred dollars each winter to help pay energy bills, and the weatherization services help keep those bills low in the first place.
“It’s a huge help in the area. Really helps,” Radford says.
Radford was able to give one example of an individual who was paying around $500 dollars a month. After weatherization services from EICAP, the individual’s monthly energy bills fell to around $170 dollars a month.
Radford says for people on fixed or low-income, that kind of change can be huge.
In cases where an individual hasn’t been able to pay their bill and had their power turned off, EICAP has crisis funding available to get the power back on and keep people warm in the cold winter months.
Other services
EICAP offers services targeted to young families, including housing assistance. The nonprofit also offers services designed to benefit in-need seniors in the community.
Whether it’s legal assistance and caregiver support or ombudsmen, who advocate for seniors in nursing homes and assisted living centers, EICAP is just as committed to seniors in our community as they are to young families.
“The senior citizens program is amazing because I feel like our senior citizens don’t get enough help in the community, so that is an amazing program and they help a lot with meals on wheels or just insuring that our senior citizens are also getting the help they need,” said Talbot.
EICAP owns eight properties with over 300 housing units available and has programs to assist with food insecurity issues.
Investing in communities
On the surface, all of these services would seem to bear financial costs to the community, but Radford said services like those offered at EICAP often have huge returns for taxpayers.
Radford gave one example of an individual who at one point was reliant on several of EICAP’s programs, including Head Start and affordable housing assistance. That person today has earned a Ph.D. and works as a researcher in a lab, making a substantial income.
“(These services) pay back taxpayers big because if he would have just stayed as an income earner at the $15, $12 range, the taxes he would have earned over his lifetime would have been a couple hundred thousand, but now he probably will spend into the system a million or $2 million,” said Radford. “When we invest in our people, we’re investing in our communities, we’re investing in everyone. It makes a difference.”
Get involved
Radford says there are multiple ways for people to volunteer.
“The Head Start program is one of the funnest places to volunteer. You get to play with the kids, and you get to do story time or all kinds of things,” Radford said.
Older adults in the community could also use some help.
“Our area agency on aging, they need volunteers for that ombudsman program, where they play a role in visiting seniors every week and they get to know the people in that center and they get to be friends with them,” he said.
The EICAP food banks in Rexburg, Challis, and Salmon are always in need of more volunteers.
And, of course, donations are always appreciated.
EICAP is a nonprofit that operates primarily on government grants. That reliance can be limiting.
“We can’t be super innovative sometimes, or we can’t be as resilient. So if a program ends, it ends. Because Congress changed their funding, it goes away. We don’t have the flexibility. We can always use local donated funds so that we can be capable of helping more people,” Radford said.
If you or someone you know is in need of aid, or if you would like to find out more information about volunteering, you can visit the EICAP website.
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