Summary

The Hub is thrilled to feature Coastal Community Action, Inc. in the Fall 2024 issue of Partner Perspectives, a quarterly column that highlights the strategic, collaborative work done alongside one of CHEER’s 17 diverse partners.

Partner Type: Community

Year of Establishment: 1965

Mission: Resolving Persistent Poverty in Rural North Carolina

Headquarters: Newport, North Carolina

The Hub’s community partners provide CHEER boots-on-the-ground perspective of its case study areas. They help describe the lived experiences, coping, and decision-making of community members to ensure that CHEER’s computational framework is based on research outcomes that are aligned with community-defined goals. This will support community members in making well-informed decisions to manage their risk. Read on to learn about Coastal Community Action, Inc.’s important work alongside the Hub.

 

A Word From the Director

Catissa Head (she/her)

Catissa Head, a Georgia native, was appointed CCA’s Executive Director in 2018. She works closely with the Hub and its summer scholars program..

“CCA has been instrumental in the fight against removing the barriers that restrict rural areas with high poverty and low opportunities from overcoming the hardships that being poor brings. As we enter our 60th year, we will continue to work toward being a leading force in improving the lives of those we serve and upholding our legacy – empowering individuals, families, and communities toward a better quality of life through advocacy, education, support, and services.”

The Mission and Vision

Coastal Community Action (CCA), as a part of North Carolina Community Action, is part of a nationwide, federally-funded movement with a very public mission: intimately involving poor people in developing their own solutions to persistent poverty. The non-profit organization works with low-income individuals and families across North Carolina to remove the barriers that prevent them from achieving economic stability. CCA accomplishes this by empowering the populations it serves with opportunities and resources to help them prosper. They provide a diverse range of resources and programs, including training and placement, home weatherization, energy assistance, and family, senior, and housing services. Between its seven offices across Eastern North Carolina, CCA serves thousands of residents annually.

Working with the Hub 

Coastal Community Action (CCA) started working with CHEER in 2023 when the Hub’s first cohort of summer scholars visited our site. A lasting relationship developed then and there. During their time with us, local CCA staff members introduced both cohorts to the world of rural area hurricane experiences and survival. After our staff shared stories and pictures of past hurricanes in Eastern North Carolina, we did several site visits, which allowed the summer scholars to get a boots-on-the-ground perspective of how hurricanes impacted the community. While they were able to see the devastation of these storms years after the event, they were also able to witness the resilience of the local community firsthand. 

Overall, CCA’s collaboration with CHEER works both ways. It gives the Hub a wealth of first-hand knowledge from the people we serve – those living in rural areas where there is high poverty and low opportunity. However, the CHEER project has also given CCA staff a sense of inclusiveness with the next generation of disaster science scholars. We all feel like we are contributing to innovative and promising solutions related to natural hazards and poverty.

Looking Forward

CCA is committed to collaborating with CHEER. We’re looking forward to continuing our legacy of working with the summer scholars and, hopefully, getting connected with other members of the Hub. In the meantime, CCA is focusing on the work we do: educating others about natural hazards’ impact on rural and impoverished populations in the coastal Carolinas and continuing to address and annihilate the barriers these communities face.

Getting Involved

For those local to Eastern North Carolina, numerous volunteering opportunities with CCA are available. Those interested are encouraged to call their office at 252-223-1630 to inquire about the opportunities available that best suit their skills and availability.

To learn more about Coastal Community Action, visit their website or visit the Hub’s Partners page.