3. WHY A POVERTY INITIATIVE?
Statistic City of Amarillo State of Texas
Population 192,250 26,059,203
Persons below poverty level 16.9% 17.0%
Per Capita Income $23,752 $25,548
High School Graduate (age 25+) 82.3% 80.4%
Less than 9th Grade 7.7% 9.5%
9th to 12th Grade 10.0% 9.4%
High School Graduate 24.9% 25.5%
Some College, No Degree 27.5% 22.6%
Bachelor’s degree or higher (age
25+)
22.3% 26.1%
4. INTERVENTIONS
1) Social Services
2) Food Panty
3) Coaches & Champions Mentoring Program
4) AC Career & Employment Services
AC Money Management Center
5) Early Alert System
Retention Alert
Classroom Attendance Scanning
Gradebook Connection
6) Predictive Modeling
Bb Analytics
Tutoring Centers (Match ORC, Writers Corner,
Science Enrichment Center)
5. AC CAREER & EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
Connects students to career and
employment opportunities
Connects Amarillo College and Texas
Workforce Commission
Hosts monthly workshops and events
6. EARLY ALERT SYSTEM
Faculty, staff online intervention
tool
Alerts can be issued for:
Academic Dishonesty
Behavioral or Mental Health Concerns
Disability Services
Low Grades or Attendance
Social Services Need
Innovative Use of Technology
Classroom Attendance Scanning
System
Connection to Gradebook in Bb
9. FOOD PANTRY : GETTING STARTED
• Space for pantry
• Available and passionate person
• Starter funds
10. FOOD PANTRY
Growth and Logistics
• Started minimally
• Referred by instructors and advisors
• No proof of finances
• Fill one bag
• Two visits per month
• Grown to 70 visits per month
• Now costs $500 to $700 per month to stock
11. FOOD PANTRY
Fund Raising / Donations
• Tasty Towers
• Thanksgiving bags
• Department food item adoptions
• United Way giving
• We are an agency under our local Food Bank (low cost food)
• Community partners
13. HISTORY OF SOCIAL SERVICES
• Story
• No systematic process to refer
students
• Bill & Melinda Gates Grant
• Student Survey of Needs
14. TOP TEN STUDENT NEEDS
I N I T I A L
• Transportation
• Shelter
• Legal
• Utilities
• Food
• Clothing
• Childcare
• Medical/Dental/Vision
• Emergency Referral
• Counseling
C U R R E N T
• School Needs (Tuition Scholarships, Textbooks & Testing
Fees)
• Housing
• Transportation
• Student Money Management Referral
• Career & Employment Services
• Childcare
• Amarillo College Food Pantry Referral
• Adult Students Program Referral
• Counseling Referral
• Utility Assistance
15. HOW CAN YOUR STUDENTS RECEIVE ASSISTANCE?
• Ways to refer:
o Retention Alert System
o Advisors
o Faculty/Staff
o Self-Referral
• Identify the student’s need and locate
resources.
16. CAMPUS RESOURCES
• Campus Resources:
o Adult Students Program
o Amarillo College Foundation – No Excuses Fund
o Amarillo College Financial Aid
o Amarillo College Food Pantry
o Amarillo College Mentoring Program
o Career & Employment Services
o Finisher’s Club
o Money Management Center
17. COMMUNITY RESOURCES
• Community Resources:
o Panhandle Community Services
o Family Support Services
o Samaritan Pastoral Counseling
o Mission Amarillo
o Cal Farley’s
o 211
o Workforce Solutions – Workforce Investment Act & Child
Care Services
o Specialty Coaches
18. • Total of students: 298
- 218 Female
- 80 Male
• 65.09% Retention Rate
• 39.15% Persistence Rate
• 20.75% Graduation Rate
2013
Total of funds distributed: $22,128.20
Adult Students
Program Referral,
31
Budget Planning,
27
Career, 39
Childcare, 19
Clothing, 11
Counseling
Referral, 25
Financial Aid, 17
Food , 41
Housing, 60
Legal, 5
Medical, 17
Mental Health, 3
Other, 17
School Needs,
102
Texas Benefit
Bank, 8
Transportation 62
Utility, 30
19. • Total of students: 582
- 439 Female
- 143 Male
• 54.68% Retention Rate
• 34.41% Persistence Rate
• 21.51% Graduation Rate
2014
Total of funds distributed: $20,612.74
Adult Students
Program
Referral, 94
Amarillo College
Foundation , 7
Career, 76
Childcare,
29
Clothing, 9
Financial Aid, 55
Food, 87
Housing, 110
Legal,
3Medical, 29
Mental
Health, 60
Money
Management, 9
Other, 60
School Needs,
172
Texas Benefit
Bank, 5
Transportation
(Emergency
Gas Cards, Bus
Tickets & Taxi
Vouchers), 129
Utility, 49
Women in
Philanthropy
Grant Funds, 23
20. o 2012
o 39 campus & community
vendors
o 200 students signed up for
the door prize raffle
o 2013
o 39 campus & community
vendors
o 202 students signed up for
the door prize raffle
o 2014
o 48 campus & community
vendors
o 229 students signed up for
the door prize raffle
ANNUAL RESOURCE FAIR
21. WEST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY INTERNS
o Fall 2012
o Approached by WTAMU to become a field placement site for WTAMU
Undergraduate students
o Spring 2013
o First BSW student
o Spring 2015
o First MSW student
o Since the Fall of 2012 we have been a field placement site for 8 WTAMU
Social Work students
o Fall 2015
o Nydia S.
25. CONTACT INFORMATION
Jordan Herrera, LMSW
Amarillo College
Washington Street Campus
Student Service Center, Room 121
Phone: 371-5439
Email: jordan@amarillocollege.com
Website: www.actx.edu/socialservices
