Independence Empowerment Center

Fauquier Community Action Committee (FCAC) is a true partner of Independence Empowerment Center.  They literally opened their doors to use by providing space to our service facilitator who serves our consumers in Fauquier County.

Though their mission and their consumers are quite different from ours, we share in our efforts to encourage, support and offer opportunities to those with whom we work.  See just how they do those things through this description of who they are and what they do:

Fauquier Community Action Committee, Inc. is a nonprofit organization serving the low-income residents of Fauquier County.  As Fauquier County’s designated Community Action Agency, FCAC provides a range of programs and services that address the causes and symptoms of poverty in Fauquier County.  FCAC was created in 1966 in response to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s declaration of War on Poverty.  FCAC is one of more than 1,000 agencies in the nationwide Community Action network, whose mission is to fight poverty and move individuals and families to self-sufficiency.

The Head Start/Bright Stars preschool program is FCAC’s largest and best-known program.  The program provides 157 low-income children, ages 3-5, with:  A preschool experience; nutritious meals; health and dental services; vision, hearing and speech screenings, with follow-up treatment as needed; after-school care for children with working parents; education and training opportunities for parents; case management and access to other social services and resources.

FCAC also operates a Child Day Care program, providing full-day, as well as before- and after-school care for up to 20 children of low-income working parents.

FCAC is the county provider of the Energy Share program.  Customers of Dominion Virginia Power and Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative donate to Energy Share to help families pay utility bills during the winter heating months.  Energy Share and agency funds also help eligible families who heat with oil, propane, wood or coal.

The Emergency Home Repair program makes critical emergency repairs to keep eligible low-income families in their homes.  A state grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development must be matched locally, dollar for dollar, by the family or through donations of cash, labor or materials on their behalf.

FCAC maintains an ongoing, year-round Emergency Food Pantry, and may also provide “food coupons” to supplement eligible families’ immediate needs.  The pantry is stocked through the donations of local citizens, churches, businesses, and food drives.  In addition, the agency provides Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday food baskets to needy families.

The agency also provides other one-time or limited assistance to families in crisis.  Emergency needs that we may meet include clothing, household items, furniture and appliances, as well as emergency transportation, shelter, prescription medicines and special medical needs.

FCAC is an IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site.  During tax season, volunteers prepare federal and state income tax returns for residents with incomes at or below $39,000 a year.