This is accomplished by assisting low-income individuals, families, the physically challenged and the elderly in achieving
self-sufficiency. The Agency programs are designed to provide a range of services and activities that will have a
measurable and potentially major impact on the causes of poverty in our area. Jackson-Vinton Community Action, Inc.
(JVCAI) was incorporated on September 25, 1965. The Board of Trustees consists of 18 members and meets at
5:00 p.m. the second Thursday of each month. The Executive Director is Cheryl Thiessen.

ABOUT JACKSON-VINTON COMMUNITY ACTION, INC.

Jackson-Vinton Community Action (JVCAI) was incorporated on September 25, 1965 as a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt, charitable corporation through the IRS. The establishment of the agency was a local response to President Johnson's enactment of the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) of 1964.

• The agency has an average of 90 employees and approximately 50% are Head Start employees. The agency's current funding is nearly at 5 million dollars providing services to over 20,000 customers a year.
• An eighteen member, volunteer, Board of Trustees, governs our agency. Nine members from Jackson and nine members from Vinton county, representing three sectors of the community: low-income, private and public. 
• We also have a Head Start Policy Council whose membership of 12 is comprised of at least 51% parents and 49% or less Community Representatives This formal structure of program governance provides parents and other community representatives with the authority and opportunity to participate in shared decision-making concerning program design and implementation.

The organizational structure of the agency is very diverse. We receive funding from Federal, State and Local resources offering 22 different programs. The programs include: Head Start, Home Weatherization Assistance Program, Housing Assistance Grant Program, HEAP, Winter Crisis, Summer Crisis, Medicaid Outreach Program, and Women, Infant and Children. We also have Community Services Block Grant funding that provides funding for Health Services and our Transportation Program.
The agency has 8 sites-1 in Vinton County and 7 in Jackson County.

In September 2020 our agency, along with Head Start, celebrated 55 years of providing services to the constituents of Jackson and Vinton Counties.

Values Statement
By providing quality community services in a compassionate, respectful manner, Jackson-Vinton Community Action, Inc. strives to empower individuals and families to become self-sufficient, thereby enriching the quality of their lives.