About QCAP
Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc. (QCAP) is a leading private nonprofit organization in the Greater Quincy area dedicated to reducing poverty and helping low-income people achieve self-sufficiency. QCAP was incorporated in 1965 and is one of 24 Community Action Agencies in Massachusetts. QCAP serves approximately 19,000 unduplicated people annually. Our service area includes Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Hull and surrounding Norfolk County and South Shore Communities. (For individuals and families outside of this area, find the Community Action Agency nearest to you at Massachusetts Association for Community Action - MASSCAP.)
QCAP delivers multiple services that are designed to support people in crisis, as well as provide low-income households with a path for reaching economic self-sufficiency. QCAP's programs are focused on:
- Preserving existing and creating new affordable housing options
- Improving the energy efficiency of low-income households
- Preparing young children for success in school and beyond
- Providing parents with quality early education and care options so they can work or pursue education and training
- Helping adults improve their education and job skills so they can get good jobs that pay a living wage
- Supporting households in crisis and working with them to stabilize their living situation
- Helping adults manage their money and save towards an asset such as a home, education or small business
- Helping low income people increase their incomes and move towards financial self-sufficiency.
State Rep. Tobin Hears from Quincy Residents
03.09.2010
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State Representative Stephen Tobin (D-Quincy) visited QCAP on Tuesday March 2nd to meet with clients and hear about their needs and concerns. Tobin met with five QCAP clients, QCAP’s Executive Director, Beth Ann Strollo, and staff for a round table discussion. Clients shared their individual stories, and related how QCAP’s services helped them through tough times.
“People need to realize that tough times can happen to anyone. By sharing your stories today you are helping to get past the numbers and put a face to the issues,” Tobin said.
“We need to focus more on who are the individual faces, not just the numbers. We need to know who we’re helping,” Tobin said.
A client receiving Fuel Assistance told about losing her long-time job in the insurance industry last year and, although her husband was still working, with two young children at home, it became difficult to make ends meet. The family applied for QCAP’s Fuel Assistance program and received help to pay for home heating oil. Because their oil consumption was so high, QCAP’s Energy Program provided them with a free energy audit that revealed their home had no insulation. QCAP provided funding to pay for insulation to be installed, which conserved energy and brought their fuel bill down. “This bad economy has really touched people who never needed QCAP’s services before,” pointed out Strollo.
Other clients shared their experiences with Head Start (early care and education program), child care vouchers, and the Emergency Food Pantry. One client who has received a child care voucher through QCAP’s Community Care for Kids program explained that as a teen parent she would not have been able to finish high school and go on to college without the voucher, which paid for her daughter to attend child care while she attended school and worked.
Tobin thanked all of the clients for sharing their stories. He also urged anyone who needs help to call his office, and his staff will connect them to services in the community such as those at QCAP. Anyone interested in finding out more about QCAP’s services can also call QCAP directly at 617-479-8181 or visit www.qcap.org.
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