New Mahoning program aims to end cycle of poverty within families

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

alcorn@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Moving families from poverty to economic success.

That, in a nutshell, is the ultimate goal of the Center for Family Economic Success, a new Mahoning-Youngstown Community Action Partnership initiative, said Marilyn McDaniel, the agency’s interim chief operating officer.

The Center for Family Economic Success — or CFES — is an umbrella organization within MYCAP that will coordinate and integrate the agency’s programs and develop new collaborations with other community organizations to provide support for people and families trying to become financially self-sufficient, she said.

”One of the key phrases in the Economic Opportunity Act passed in 1964 is to “‘mobilize all available resources’ to address poverty situations. It doesn’t mean operating categorical grant programs alone. We need to collaborate with our partners in the community and develop new services when needed or we are not serving our own mission,” she said.

Under the umbrella concept, the agency, with its array of services, won’t just help people make it through the day, but make it out of poverty. That is MYCAP’s core mission, said McDaniel.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.