Arcuri Visits CAPCO to Highlight Recovery Bill Funding

Press Release

Today, U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri (NY-24) joined Cortland County Community Action Program (CAPCO) to highlight the positive impact of more than $3.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Bill) funding, which has led to the expansion of programs and services and job creation.

"Knowing the incredible impact that CAPCO has on the Cortland community, I am happy to be able to highlight the specific programs and initiatives it has been able to continue or initiate as a result of $3.3 million in Recovery Bill funding this year," said Arcuri. "This funding has allowed CAPCO to help even more families in our community overcome the challenges of today's economy while creating local jobs in the process."

"At a time when the economy took such a downturn and so many people in our community were struggling, these resources were used to provide for immediate needs and emergency assistance," said Lindy Glennon, CAPCO Executive Director. "They were also critical in providing resources that will help families continue to grow and move forward in the future."

The $3.3 million in Recovery Bill funding has allowed CAPCO to hire new staff as it creates and expands programs and services to people living in Cortland County in following areas:

* $1,960,000 for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides families making up to 200% of the federal poverty level (roughly $44,000 a year for a family of four) with energy efficiency upgrades that reduce energy consumption and save families approximately $358 a year in energy costs. With this funding, CAPCO was able to weatherize more than 300 homes and hire seven additional weatherization crew members since December 2009.

* $918,029 for the Early Head Start Program, which provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income infants, toddlers and pregnant women. With this funding, CAPCO has begun construction of two classrooms in Cortland that will support 72 infants, toddlers and pregnant women and create 13 new positions.

* $104,362 for the Head Start Program, which will provide Cost of Living Adjustments and Quality Improvements. These resources were used to build a new playground at the YMCA Head Start classroom site with recycled materials and to make renovations of existing sites and Head Start classrooms. Additionally, funding was used to provide Head Start staff with professional development training.

* $361,000 in Community Service Block Grant funding, which is designed to assist low-income individuals attain the skills, knowledge, and motivation necessary to achieve self-sufficiency. With this funding, CAPCO created eight new jobs for Family Development and created two Family Resource Centers (McGraw and Marathon) to provide services and resources to those communities. Additionally, resources were used to provide employment training for 15 individuals, weekend meals for 97 children, and supported five local food pantries with resources to respond to the increase in food requests throughout the community.

Coming on the heels of National Community Action Month in May, CAPCO will host an open house from 12:00 -2:00 pm, which will include hands on demonstrations and interactive displays of its programs and services available in Cortland County.

CAPCO is a community action agency that has been actively fighting a war on poverty in Cortland County since 1974. The agency focuses its attention on specific problems affecting the community, mobilizing resources and creating solutions to unlock opportunities for low-income individuals and disenfranchised families. CAPCO helps alleviate poverty and fosters self-sufficiency through comprehensive and holistic client-centered services.

Last year, CAPCO provided services and resources to more than 1,270 families (4,100 individuals) in Cortland County.

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