Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation

The Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation (OACAC) is a nonprofit agency that has been provided one AFI grant since 2009. OACAC has provided a wide range of services to southwestern Missouri individuals and families for nearly 45 years. These services include family planning, the foster grandparents program, Head Start, housing, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, neighborhood centers, and weatherization.

OACAC emphasizes homeownership, postsecondary education, and business capitalization, with the goals of increasing the number of low-income youth who develop financial assets and providing a safe and creative environment for youth participants so they can develop personal skills such as communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, self-management, and problem solving. This grantee has been successful at identifying program participants and developing an afterschool program that provides mentorship, life skills training, financial education, and asset-specific training.

OACAC partners with Polk County School Districts, Missouri University Extension offices, the Family Support Division, Children's Division, churches and faith-based organizations, United Way of the Ozarks, Consumer Credit Counseling, Missouri Career Centers, local government offices, housing authorities, local businesses, and nonprofit agencies, all of which provide mentorship to participants as well as financial education and asset-specific training.