WHO WE ARE

Centers for Poverty Reduction & Supportive Services Inc (CPRASS Inc) garnered it's name because we believe our organization is at the helm of poverty reduction work in our community. We are a community development organization founded and managed by BIPOC community members, and currently volunteer lead. We advocate for the socio economic empowerment of BIPOC and low-income residents of Broome , Tioga, and Delaware Counties. Programming is focused on economic self-sufficiency, workforce, and personal development for African Americans, indigenous people of color and low-income citizens.

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OUR MISSION

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Centers for Poverty Reduction & Supportive Services Inc.s' mission is to increase financial stability in marginalized groups, through programming & support, focused on personal empowerment, and building economic sustainability.

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WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

 

CPRASS is not just another not-for-profit. Our approach to ending poverty includes collecting relevant information and using it to develop programming to innovatively address today's socio economic issues. We are not in the poverty business. We are in the business of solving poverty. 

 

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Our founders are original members of the former group BCAP (Binghamton Community Advocate Project) formed the fall of 2017 in Binghamton NY. Comprised of the 9 residents on the BBAPI Steering Committee chosen to use our voices and experiences to give insight regarding the effects of poverty in our lives and communities ; We organized BCAP so our impact would be much larger within the BBAPI Committee.

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It was determined that lack of a living wage, affordable quality childcare, reliable transportation and outdated policies, contribute substantially to centralized poverty in Binghamton NY. Twelve organizations working to lessen its impact were funded through the anti-poverty initiative. ​

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Research suggests more than 2/3 of African Americans and Latinx households are in poverty. We believe the voices of our BIPOC communities are drowned out, and not heard by traditionalist, gatekeepers, powerbrokers and those possessing the power to make major changes, and equitably distribute much needed funding available in the community.

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BCAP (Binghamton Community Advocates Project) was awarded $100,000 to help overcome some of the barriers we faced, mostly caused by lack of monetary resources.

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Our cohort of 25 participants including the original BBAPI residents, used the funding for entrepreneurship, educational pursuits, leader and stewardship training, and emergency crisis relief.  

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Access to these resources and trainings would have been difficult to attain were it not for this funding. We committed to reaching 100 additional community members, outside our cohort, through resource sharing, empowerment conferences, workshops, and backpack giveaways. The project was a large success.

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Our project ended in the summer of 2019. Determined to keep momentum and continue our work by extending this program to more community members who desperately need it, we formed our nonprofit, CPRASS inc. 

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In speaking to some of the larger well established agencies that help low-income residents with services and programs, say our program is the missing piece to the puzzle and will be partnering with us to create a more holistic method of helping them climb out of poverty and establish financial sustainability. 

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We want to thank United Way of Broome County for stepping up to back and manage our project. Without their support, this life changing experience would have been impossible at the time, and our communities are better because of this program. 

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WHAT IS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION?​

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A community development corporation (CDO) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated to provide programs, offer services and engage in other activities that promote and support community development. CDO's usually serve a geographic location such as a neighborhood or a town. They often focus on serving lower-income residents or struggling neighborhoods. They can be involved in a variety of activities including economic development, education, community organizing and real estate development. These organizations are often associated with the development of affordable housing.​