Our community is an incredibly fortunate one. If you’re reading this story, chances are high that you’re reading within the warm confines of your home, where you’ve got cozy sweaters, a fully-stocked pantry, and most importantly, your family. However, not everyone in our community is blessed to have these things. Many folks struggle to put a good meal on the table, to pay the bill to heat a home, or even find a safe place to call home. But according to Jay Doman, there’s reason to have hope.
Jay Doman is the new executive director of the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership, also known by its acronym, EICAP. Formerly an accountant, Doman moved from an accounting firm in downtown to work for the community action agency, then called EISSA. "As I worked through tax seasons, I realized I wasn't seeing my family,” Doman said. “I decided it was a good time for a change. It’s definitely been a worthwhile one; we’ve done lots of good for the community.”
EICAP was founded in 1968, four years after President Lyndon B. Johnson announced legislation that would come to be called the War on Poverty. Their mission is to give opportunities to individuals and families to reach independence and self-sufficiency, and to work with partners in the community to create a greater impact on the community and its needs. “[Our mission] is to give people the tools they need to climb out of the hole they’re in,” said Doman.
The organization runs a number of programs in the area, including the Haven shelter, Meals on Wheels, Head Start, Weatherization and energy assistance, low-cost housing, and much more. One of the programs that Doman has the most heart in is Head Start, one of the largest programs EICAP runs. He feels that in order to solve the problem of poverty, you have to start at the very beginning and give kids the skills and education necessary to break out of the cycle of poverty that many families experience. Students in the program spend half of the school day participating in it; they get the help they need to succeed in school now and in the future, as well as a nutritional meal to make for a whole package, that they might not get otherwise.
“By the time students get to third grade, it’s pretty well-proven that they’re all about equal [in learning]. The big argument many people have is that the Head Start program isn’t doing any good, because of that. What they don’t understand is that without Head Start, students wouldn’t be where they’re at in third grade. They’d be behind all the way through school. Study after study has proven that education and the opportunity it provides is the key,” said Doman. Helping Head Start grow is one of Doman’s biggest goals with EICAP; they have applied for grant funds to help expand the availability to students, as well as reach out to children who are even younger than kindergarten age, and hope to receive funding locally as well.
Other programs that EICAP manages include the Haven shelter, one of the biggest and most recognized shelters in the area. The shelter accepts families and single women who are looking for a fresh start. A GED program is offered at the Haven, as well as other tools to help people move up to independence. There are also a number of programs for seniors, including caregiver support, meals at senior centers in the area as well as meal delivery to homebound seniors, low-cost housing, advocates for seniors living in assisted living, and more. Other EICAP programs include low-income energy assistance, to help families pay for heating homes so they can take care of other needs; weatherization, where crews install windows and insulation to make a home more energy-efficient; low-cost housing for families, and dozens of others. EICAP also acts as a food distributor, working with drives like Scouting for Food to provide hundreds of pounds of food for families in need. Collectively, they all work together to improve life for many families living in our community.
Doman is optimistic about the future of EICAP and our community. “We've been very fiscally responsible, we're financially sound. Our biggest risk is what happens in Washington. [Community action agencies] have been around for 50 years. We hope to go another fifty years. We'd like to eliminate poverty and put ourselves out of a job, but in reality, that's probably not going to happen for a while,” said Doman. “We do what we can; we try to be a hand up, not a hand out. There's a stigma that we're a hand out; there's a few programs out there that make it look that way. That's why I feel it's important to teach how to fish, rather than giving a fish.”
Want to lend a hand and volunteer with EICAP? It’s easy! Call their main office at 208-522-5391 to find out what opportunities are available and where you can help.