ROGERS — The Office of Human Concern in Rogers is working on a new marketing plan.
The staff has done some marketing in the past but wants to get the word out about the organization to help raise money, said Al West, executive director.
The Office of Human Concern has called itself the “quiet nonprofi t” that gets things done, but agency representatives decided that’s outdated, he said. The agency’s programs mostly serve Benton, Carroll and Madison counties. One program, for weatherization, serves those three and Washington County.
The agency has been around since the federal government under President Lyndon B. Johnson created community action agencies in the 1960s, West said. The agency uses federal, state and local grant money bolstered by fundraisers and local donations.
The agency’s programs provide myriad services. For example, one program supports local food pantries, West said.
Its weatherization program helps low- to moderate-income households reduce energy costs, he said. Stimulus money has bolstered that program. The off ice usually has $350,000 each year for weatherization but now has $1.3 million each year for the next three years, West said.
The office also provides energy assistance, which helps families pay a portion of their utility bills.
A senior services program provides meals, coordinates activities and provides transportation. A retired senior and volunteer program gives people age 55 and older the opportunity to volunteer.
The Office of Human Concern has a small housing rehabilitation program that assists people in remodeling or restructuring their homes.
There is also a program called asset development, which is designed to help families move away from crises, West said. It trains people to work, continue their education and own a home, according to a brochure.
The organization’s newest program began in October. Unemployed individuals gain skills by working at Pieces of Me, a discount and resale clothing shop in Rogers. The program takes eight students every four months.
In exchange for working a certain number of hours at the store, students get food and transportation stipends, said Karen Rakes, an Off ce of Human Concern employee and manager of the store.
Alysha Undernehr has been in the program since the beginning of October and helped prepare the store for opening. She gets to work in the store and take job-training classes to learn about topics such as resumes and interviews.