Act III Youth Program	Hot Meals Program
School Age Childcare	Step By Step Programming
Summer Day Camp	Community Enrichment Activities

ACT III is an acronym for Awareness Changes Tomorrow. The program targets adolescents, grades 6-12, at risk for school drop-out. ACT III focuses on empowering youth through awareness of I) Self, II) Family, and III) Community and how the 3 areas interact. It offers programs that involve the families to strengthen the family unit. The ACT III youth volunteer in regular community service activities that enrich their community.


The ACT III program encourages personal and academic success, preparing today’s youth for tomorrow’s workforce.

TOPICS ADDRESSED

Low-income working parents need quality, affordable childcare to help them become self-sufficient. United Community Centers helps to strengthern families by offering quality licensed after school childcare for Pre-K through 5th grades, on a reduced-fee basis. The childcare program is based on the “learning center concept.” This approach empowers children by promoting decision making, cooperative play, and social skills development.
We provide:

All summer, while school is out, United Community Centers offers a Summer Day Camp that provides a fun, educational setting for children and youth to be safe during the summer months. Opened from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Summer Day Camp offers a variety of activities that enrich a child’s life. This includes fine arts, recreational activities, field trips, swimming, cultural enrichment, crafts and interactive educational projects. The youth will explore various colleges and careers with projects, guest speakers and field trips. Bringing guest speakers in and taking the children / youth on field trips allows them to see a glimpse of the world that lies beyond their streets.

(Emergency Assistance)
Step by Step Programming provides basic survival needs such as emergency groceries and clothing for families in need. Senior Citizens on a fixed income are provided with monthly supplemental groceries to carry them through until the end of the month. Social activities and resource fairs are also provided to low income Senior Citizens. Thanksgiving baskets provide families with a holiday feast. Families are linked to other resources that will help them address other needs they may have. The Step by Step program is targeted at strengthening families to help them work towards self sufficiency.
The Step by Step program facilitates outreach activities by collaborating with several agencies to enrich communities by bringing needed resources to low-income communities such as:

• Community Resource Fairs
• Distribution of School Supplies / Uniforms
• Free Tax Preparation for Low-Income Families
• Thanksgiving Baskets to children and families in need
• Christmas Gifts to children and families in need

Bethlehem Center, Polytechnic Center, and Wesley Center all offer various activities that help enrich the community; including facilitating community service activities, community resource fairs, and mobile medical clinics. The Centers are available for community or neighborhood meetings, family gatherings and educational classes. Each Center Director is involved in local community collaborations to be able to offer services and assess community need.