Project Grant 21SRGOK001

INCA COMMUNITY SERVICES IS A 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 1965 AS A COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY SERVING SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. IN 1985 INCA WAS AWARDED THE RSVP GRANT SERVING CARTER, JOHNSTON, AND MURRAY COUNTIES, THEN IN 2018 WERE AWARDED ADDITIONAL COUNTIES THAT EXPANDED THE SERVICE AREA TO INCLUDE THE UNSERVED COUNTIES OF ATOKA, COAL, GARVIN, LOVE, MARSHALL, AND PONTOTOC IN SOUTH-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. INCA-RSVP WORKS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE SERVICE AREA TO HELP SERVE THE GROWING NUMBER OF OLDER PEOPLE IN CRISIS EVERY DAY. OUR WORK INVOLVES INVESTING IN INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CONNECT STRUGGLING SENIORS WHO ARE 55 AND OLDER TO PROGRAMS, RESOURCES, AND BENEFITS TO HELP IMPROVE THEIR LIVES IN OUR FOUR IMPACT AREAS: HUNGER, COMPANIONSHIP, OPIOID ABUSE PREVENTION, AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. INCA-RSVPS INITIATIVES IN THE KEY IMPACT AREAS, FOCUS ON SUPPORTING THE TOP IDENTIFIED NEEDS AND SERVICE/VOLUNTEER NEED GAPS THAT EXIST IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT SUPPORT INCAS AND OTHER LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS' CRITICAL MISSIONS. INCA, AS A COMMUNITY ACTION PROVIDER, UNDERSTANDS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME OLDER ADULTS AND CONTINUES TO IDENTIFY, AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES TO MEET THOSE NEEDS. WITH A PRESENCE IN 9 COUNTIES, INCA-RSVP IS WELL-POSITIONED TO REACH RURAL OLDER ADULTS WHERE THEY LIVE AND NAVIGATE ISSUES THAT ARE EITHER OF CONCERN OR OF VALUE TO THEM. AN ESTIMATED 250 RSVP VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE. OF THIS NUMBER, 210 RSVP VOLUNTEERS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE SENIOR COMPANIONSHIP, FOOD PANTRY SUPPORT, AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS HEALTHY FUTURES WITH EMPHASIS ON ACCESS TO FOOD THROUGH PANTRY SUPPORT. AT THE END OF THE THREE-YEAR GRANT, 72 UNDUPLICATED INCA-RSVP VOLUNTEERS WILL ASSIST WITH FOOD PANTRY SUPPORT. THROUGH THE VOLUNTEER SUPPORT OF THE FOOD PANTRY SERVICES, AT LEAST 1,200 PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD, AND 800 WILL SHOW IMPROVEMENTS IN FOOD SECURITY. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VOLUNTEER SUPPORT WILL BE MEASURED BY PRE/POST SURVEYS OF THE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING FOOD. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $127,500 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY SPONSOR SUPPORT AND IN-KIND DONATIONS TO MEET THE REQUIRED YEARLY MATCH OF 30 PERCENT. INCA-RSVP ANTICIPATES THAT 250 VOLUNTEERS WILL BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE FOLLOWING ROLES IN OUR COMMUNITY: 159 IN OUR PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF HEALTHY FUTURES, 51 IN DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, AND 40 IN OTHER COMMUNITY PRIORITIES. IN ADDITION, VOLUNTEERS WILL ADDRESS OTHER COMMUNITY NEEDS AS IDENTIFIED THROUGH INFORMATION FROM INPUT FROM THE RSVP ADVISORY COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. OUR HEALTHY FUTURES VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES WILL FOCUS ON PROVIDING ACCESS TO FOOD, SUPPORT SERVICE, COMPANIONSHIP, AND/OR REFERRALS TO ALLEVIATE LONG-TERM HUNGER. EPISODIC VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE: MEAL-PACKING EVENTS, MEAL PREPARATION, AND DELIVERY, AND DAYS OF SERVICE. ONGOING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES MAY INCLUDE: NUTRITION AND USDA INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AND NUTRITION EDUCATION. INCA-RSVPS HEALTHY FUTURES INITIATIVES WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS GAINING OR INCREASING ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD, WITH 72 VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED IN WORK PLANS THAT WILL GENERATE AN OUTCOME FOR BENEFICIARIES REPORTING INCREASED FOOD SECURITY VIA A SURVEY INSTRUMENT. WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, INCA-RSVPS END HUNGER ACTIVITIES SERVED OVER 15,000 MEALS AND DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 5,400 COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD (CSFP) BOXES TO LOW INCOME, OLDER ADULTS IN OUR NINE-COUNTY RURAL SERVICE AREA.