Northwest Community Action Partnership is committed to continuing services to the communities in our service areas during this difficult time. Some services may be impacted as we follow Panhandle Public Health, CDC and other recommendations but it is our goal to maintain as many services as possible. Our leadership teams are meeting daily via video conferencing to make certain we are addressing all needs during this crisis in a timely and efficient manner.
In addition to our commitment to our clients, we have a vital responsibility to ensure the health and well-being of our staff. Without a safe and healthy staff we would not be able to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations in our community including the elderly, young children, pregnant mothers and those facing the challenges of poverty. To protect staff, and clients, we have made the following changes in accordance with the recommendations of the CDC and PPHD.
· All Head Start schools in Alliance, Chadron, and Gordon are closed until May 1st, unless otherwise advised by PPHD. The Head Start Center in Valentine is closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. However, our Head Start Teachers and Home Visitors have developed YouTube channels where daily lessons are being posted for their students. Follow us on Facebook to access the links to these lessons for use with your own preschool aged children! Staff are also delivering activity packets and supplies such as crayons, glue sticks and paper to students. Finally, NCAP staff are delivering meals to students to ensure they are still receiving the meals they would have normally had during the school day.
· All Outreach Offices, including our food pantries, are closed to the public but services are still being provided. Please visit our website or call us to learn how to access services at this time. Read further for our contact information. Our Community Services teams are distributing bags of emergency food and diapers to Head Start, Early Head Start and Food Pantry clients. The situation is rapidly evolving and we are adapting as needed. Currently we are offering delivery of food for those who cannot safely pick up their food.
· All administrative offices are closed to the public until further notice. Please call our main line – (308) 432-3393 for assistance. Calls will be answered between the hours of 8 – 12 and 12:30 – 4:30 Monday through Friday. Afterhours messages will be checked regularly.
Please check our website for a full list of closures, postponements, altered hours and for complete information on how to access services at this time. Please complete an inquiry form if services are needed. Go to www.ncap.info, scroll to the bottom of the homepage and click on the link for COVID19 Updates.
If you are in a position to do so and it is on your heart to help, please consider visiting our website to make a donation via PayPal to support these efforts. Donations are often the only way we can purchase items for unexpected client needs. Grant funds are heavily restricted to specific expenditures while donation dollars give us more flexibility to meet the needs of our clients during these challenging times. Donations of items are always appreciated however, we are part of larger networks that give us buying power which stretches our dollars further. For example; a person might donate a can of food, but we would be able to buy 3 cans at that same cost. If you are interested in being a ‘Safe Volunteer’ please visit our website or Facebook page to access the online sign up tool for volunteer opportunities. After you sign up, someone will contact you to determine the best fit for volunteering depending on your personal situation, abilities and desire.
We strongly encourage the public to follow any and all guidelines released by Panhandle Public Health District regarding social distancing, travel, self-reporting, quarantine guidelines, hand washing, etc. Please visit their website www.pphd.org to stay up to date on the most current guidance.
We want to take a moment to thank our staff for the hard work and dedication they are showing during this challenging time. Each member of the NCAP team is dedicated to continuing as many essential services as we are safely able to fulfill. We thank the public for their patience and understanding as we navigated these uncharted territories. From our families to yours – stay safe and healthy everyone!