Written by: Jamie Roth, Community Services & Public Relations Director.
Two members of the Community Services Department at WIRC-Community Action Agency (WIRC) were recognized for earning a service certification at a recent banquet in Springfield, Illinois. Jamie Roth, Community Services & Public Relations Director, and Allison Birt, Community Services Outreach Worker, both completed coursework towards the Family and Community Development Specialist (FCDS) credential and were awarded certification by the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies (IACAA) in partnership with the University of Illinois, Springfield.
WIRC is part of a nationwide network that includes over 1,000 Community Action Agencies focused on helping people and changing lives. Each agency is distinct, and creates and offers customized social service programs and community development services to help people with lower incomes in the regions they serve.
According to IACAA website, the FCDS certification provides Community Action employees “…the knowledge, skills, and insights needed to make a lasting impact on the families and communities they serve.” To earn the credential, Roth and Birt had to attend classes, complete assignments, and pass an exam. The certification is renewed every five years.
“I feel that earning the credential helps the community understand my commitment to creating change in an equitable way, for all of us,” said Birt.
Birt is the primary Community Services caseworker for WIRC’s branch office in Galesburg, which opened to the public in Fall 2023. Birt says that the credential is more than just another line on her resume.
“The biggest reason for earning the credential was to learn more about the war on poverty and how to assist my community in more ways than I already do,” Birt continued. “The knowledge I gathered for the credential helped me to develop a better rapport with our customers. Poverty is not the same for everyone and that it is important to listen before assuming the issues at hand.”
Roth directs the Community Services program across the five Illinois counties of Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren. She says that this credential helped her to learn more ways to create a trauma-informed intake process.
“Living in poverty is traumatic and demoralizing, and additional trauma can come from applying for various social service programs,” said Roth. “At WIRC, we want the experience to be positive and to create an environment that is friendly and non-judgmental. The FCDS certificate helped me learn more ways to make that happen.”
Funding for the Community Services program is provided by the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).
WIRC-Community Action Agency is a nonprofit that helps people and communities in multiple western Illinois counties. The Agency offers a wide range of social service and community development programs to improve the quality of life in their service area. To learn more, call WIRC’s Macomb office at 309-837-2997 or Galesburg office at 309-837-5115, find them on social media, or visit the website wirpc.org. WIRC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.