Tri-CAP received two Minnesota Community Action Partnership’s (MinnCAP) Best and Promising Practice Awards at a ceremony on Feb. 28 in St. Paul. One of 24 Minnesota Community Action Agencies, Tri-CAP serves Benton, Sherburne and Stearns Counties, providing assistance that empowers residents to successfully achieve their goals of economic self-sufficiency.

 

These industry awards recognize Tri-CAP’s innovation in providing assistance to people living in poverty.

 

MinnCAP Best and Promising Practice awards are deemed by a University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development team to meet the criteria including:

• Measurably improve the efficiency or effectiveness of a customer service or support system.

 

• Is an Innovation or creative solution to the program addressed by the “practice”.

 

• Has a reasonable plan for long-term sustainability in funding and community support.

 

• Exemplifies true collaboration with community partners.

 

• Is replicable with modification in other Community Action Agencies.

 

Tri-CAP was awarded for the Home Energy and Resource Advisor Program which conducts home visits to improve energy conservation. With a goal of helping families manage their energy consumption and budget for this expense, the average annual energy savings experienced by the nearly 200 households served in 2016 was over $400.

 

Tri-CAP also received an award for a pilot Vehicle Repair Program. During the term of this pilot program, Tri-CAP assisted 244 households with operational and safety vehicle repairs. The impact to recipient families was increased access to the transportation needed to commute to work, shop at mainstream grocery stores, and get to medical appointments.

 

Tri-CAP is a private, non-profit Community Action Agency that works to expand opportunities for the economic and social well-being of our residents. Community Action changes lives every day, one person at a time.