HELP ON THE JOURNEY Sean Turner still remembers those hot summer days holding a sign at the exit ramp for Interstate 83 advertising a closing sale for Kmart. He managed to negotiate a higher day’s pay just so that he could feed his family, but the 47-year-old man truly believed there was something better in his future. When Sean arrived in York several years ago, he didn’t have a place of his own to stay, received a variety of public assistance, and struggled to find a job that provided for his family. But cooking, a life-long passion, opened a door for Sean – this time at Community Progress Council. The trained cook has had short stints in kitchens across the country, from New Jersey to Florida, but if you ask him today about his favorite mouths to feed, it would undoubtedly be the pre-school children in CPC’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs in York City.
At times – to bridge that gap – CPC will provide financial support that could include help with childcare costs so a parent may attend a class, vehicle repairs for reliable transportation back and forth to work, or the cost of a GED test. These measures are critical to set low-income residents up for success as they work to achieve their goals. Community Progress Council also offers housing and financial counseling, early childhood education, nutritional support through WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), workforce development for those facing barriers in securing employment, and a Foster Grandparent Program that pairs low-income senior citizens with classrooms across York County to help children to develop basic learning skills and emotional support. Because of the work that CPC does to help low- and moderate-income residents throughout the community, new homeowners like Dan and Krista Green of Felton can watch their life-long dreams come true after attending a workshop for first-time homebuyers held by Community Progress Council. Parents of young children are provided the childcare they need through Community Progress Council’s Head Start and Pre-K Counts programs in order to secure jobs that support their respective families. And thousands more are taking steps toward progress through CPC’s WIC and workforce development programs aimed at providing resources and removing barriers to becoming financial stable.
Sean is just one of many individuals across York County who are working hard for a better life through programs offered by Community Progress Council – York County’s community action agency and the York Revolution’s 2020 presenting sponsor. Breaking the cycle of poverty in York County seems like an insurmountable task, but Community Progress Council is determined to work with low-income residents to make its vision – that all people in York County live free of poverty – become a reality.
In addition to empowering York County residents to move toward financial self-sufficiency, CPC’s mission also includes advocating for change to promote community growth as a way to bring systematic reform to community and governmental structure that ,in some cases, prevents York County’s residents from breaking the cycle of poverty – something that has challenged generations of families throughout the area. In 2020, as the York County community has felt the devastating economic effects related to the Coronavirus pandemic, Community Progress Council has joined other organizations throughout the community to help residents who are struggling financially – especially those threatened by eviction and facing unemployment.
The work of Community Progress Council goes beyond providing emergency services, and instead helps people meet their immediate needs and supports them as they strive to make progress to becoming financially stable. CPC’s mission of empowering individuals and families to move toward self-sufficiency is backed by a team of educators, nutritionists, counselors, and coaches who provide the crucial guidance that so many of York County’s residents need to make it through the long process of moving from poverty to financial self-sufficiency. Over the past 55 years, CPC has provided these valuable services to low-income residents – from Hanover to Lewisberry, Red Lion to Delta, York City, and everywhere in between. Getting out of poverty is often a journey that takes years to finish and comes with many challenges along the way. Realizing that it is a difficult road to take alone, CPC’s Self-Sufficiency Program helps residents bridge the gap from poverty to financial stability. Coaches build strong relationships with participants and serve as mentors, advocates, and advisers by first helping individuals and families to set goals, and then by partnering with them to reach financial independence.
To learn more about Community Progress Council, its programs and services, or its impact on the York County community, visit YorkCPC.org or call (717) 846-4600.
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