Northeast Kingdom Community Action
Encyclopedia
Northeast Kingdom Community Action or NEKCA is a non-profit 501(c)3 government community agency
in the Northeast Kingdom
area of the U.S. state
of Vermont
founded in 1964 to address the needs of disadvantaged residents. It has Executive Offices in the historic US Customs House Building at 70 Main Street in Newport, Vermont. It has administrative offices in St. Johnsbury
and Newport
with satellite facilities in Island Pond
and Canaan
. For the fiscal year ending 2004, the agency reported a gross income of $5,147,565. The Executive Director is Joe Patrissi. The President of the Board of Directors is Mary Grant, Vice President is Kenn Stransky, Treasurer is Harold Nadeau and Sec. is Eugene Levine.
The agency administers a Head Start program. and over 100 other programs aimed at low income Vermonters.
NEKCA maintains several services for youths: transition services from foster care and for the homeless; program for runaways; court diversion for non-violent crimes; Vermont Youth Development Corps/Americorps
; Juvenile restorative program ensuring youths responsible make restitution as required; street checkers on probabationers; street (peer) outreach; and Teen Center. They serve about 6,000 families annually.
The agency advises micro-businesses in the process of starting up.
An outreach department assists low income residents in getting help they need by referrals, advocacy and case management.
24-hour support is provided to victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence and abuse.
They provide workforce training and development to people who have significant barriers to employment.
It formerly managed a program to facilitate visits between non-custodial parents and their children.
A Community Coordinating Council helps coordinate efforts to aid the poor with th this organization, the Northeast Kingdom Mental Health, Northeast Kingdom Mental Health, Parent Child Centers, Youth Services, The Youth Wellness Center, Northern Counties Health Care, Umbrella, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Adult Basic Education, Area Agency on Aging and other social agencies.
They attempt to educate the public to be aware of the concerns of the homeless.
Two radio stations, WMOO
and WIKE
, hold a three-day, 24-hour, on-air fundraiser
to benefit the agency.
In 2008, it was attempting to convert a building to a transitional shelter for parolees in Newport.
In the winter of 2003-4, the agency provided fuel assistance to 461 applicants, and denied 206 because they did not meet income criteria.
in 1965 as part of the War on Poverty
. It was headquartered at the Old Customs building on Main Street, Newport.
OCCSA founded a spectrum of agencies which still exist: Rural Community Transportation
, Northern Communities Investment Corporation, and Gillman Housing, among others.
The successor NEKCA agency was established in 1980.
When NEKCA attempted to rezone a St. Johnsbury building for transitional housing for parolees, neighbors objected, as did the local paper. Attempting to reverse the rezoning, 13 litigants took them to Environmental Court in 2007. The petition of the litigants was denied in 2009.
When they discovered that Newport police were recording conversations between NEKCA victim advocates and victims, four advocates resigned, two dismissed, for going public with the information.
Community Action Agencies
In the United States and its territories, Community Action Agencies are local private and public non-profit organizations that carry out the Community Action Program , which was founded by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act to fight poverty by empowering the poor as part of the War on Poverty.CAAs...
in the Northeast Kingdom
Northeast Kingdom
The Northeast Kingdom is a term used to describe the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia Counties and having a population of 62,438. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used. The term is attributed to the late George D. Aiken, former...
area of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
founded in 1964 to address the needs of disadvantaged residents. It has Executive Offices in the historic US Customs House Building at 70 Main Street in Newport, Vermont. It has administrative offices in St. Johnsbury
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
St. Johnsbury is the shire town of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,571 at the 2000 census. St. Johnsbury is located approximately northwest of the Connecticut River and south of the Canadian border.St...
and Newport
Newport (city), Vermont
Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area....
with satellite facilities in Island Pond
Island Pond, Vermont
Island Pond is a census-designated place in the town of Brighton in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 849 at the 2000 census...
and Canaan
Canaan, Vermont
Canaan is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,078 at the 2000 census. Canaan contains the village of Beecher Falls, located at the confluence of the Connecticut River and Halls Stream...
. For the fiscal year ending 2004, the agency reported a gross income of $5,147,565. The Executive Director is Joe Patrissi. The President of the Board of Directors is Mary Grant, Vice President is Kenn Stransky, Treasurer is Harold Nadeau and Sec. is Eugene Levine.
The agency administers a Head Start program. and over 100 other programs aimed at low income Vermonters.
NEKCA maintains several services for youths: transition services from foster care and for the homeless; program for runaways; court diversion for non-violent crimes; Vermont Youth Development Corps/Americorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
; Juvenile restorative program ensuring youths responsible make restitution as required; street checkers on probabationers; street (peer) outreach; and Teen Center. They serve about 6,000 families annually.
The agency advises micro-businesses in the process of starting up.
An outreach department assists low income residents in getting help they need by referrals, advocacy and case management.
24-hour support is provided to victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence and abuse.
They provide workforce training and development to people who have significant barriers to employment.
It formerly managed a program to facilitate visits between non-custodial parents and their children.
A Community Coordinating Council helps coordinate efforts to aid the poor with th this organization, the Northeast Kingdom Mental Health, Northeast Kingdom Mental Health, Parent Child Centers, Youth Services, The Youth Wellness Center, Northern Counties Health Care, Umbrella, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Adult Basic Education, Area Agency on Aging and other social agencies.
They attempt to educate the public to be aware of the concerns of the homeless.
Two radio stations, WMOO
WMOO
WMOO is a hot adult contemporary formatted radio station broadcasting from Derby Center, Vermont, USA. It is owned by Nassau Broadcasting Partners. It is rebroadcast on W257AU 99.3 in St. Johnsbury....
and WIKE
WIKE
WIKE is a radio station located in Newport, Vermont. It currently broadcasts a country music format at 1 kw 24 hours a day. It is owned by Nassau Broadcasting Partners.-External links:...
, hold a three-day, 24-hour, on-air fundraiser
Fundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
to benefit the agency.
In 2008, it was attempting to convert a building to a transitional shelter for parolees in Newport.
In the winter of 2003-4, the agency provided fuel assistance to 461 applicants, and denied 206 because they did not meet income criteria.
History
The original organization was Orleans County Council of Social Agencies (OCCSA), founded as a Community Action ProgramCommunity Action Agencies
In the United States and its territories, Community Action Agencies are local private and public non-profit organizations that carry out the Community Action Program , which was founded by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act to fight poverty by empowering the poor as part of the War on Poverty.CAAs...
in 1965 as part of the War on Poverty
War on Poverty
The War on Poverty is the unofficial name for legislation first introduced by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964. This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to a national poverty rate of around nineteen percent...
. It was headquartered at the Old Customs building on Main Street, Newport.
OCCSA founded a spectrum of agencies which still exist: Rural Community Transportation
Rural Community Transportation
Rural Community Transportation is a nonprofit, public bus system headquartered in St. Johnsbury in Caledonia County, Vermont. RCT serves the counties of Caledonia, Essex, Lamoille, and Orleans Counties. It provides regular bus routes to member municipalities.It consists of mainly volunteer drivers...
, Northern Communities Investment Corporation, and Gillman Housing, among others.
The successor NEKCA agency was established in 1980.
Controversies
The original executive director of OCCSA had political difficulties with the then governor of Vermont, Richard Snelling, who had been born out-of-state. The director described the governor to a newspaper reporter as a "porky flatlander." The agency was subsequently dismantled and the director moved to a western state.When NEKCA attempted to rezone a St. Johnsbury building for transitional housing for parolees, neighbors objected, as did the local paper. Attempting to reverse the rezoning, 13 litigants took them to Environmental Court in 2007. The petition of the litigants was denied in 2009.
When they discovered that Newport police were recording conversations between NEKCA victim advocates and victims, four advocates resigned, two dismissed, for going public with the information.