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A Part of America's Poverty-Fighting Network

Tri County Community Action has been helping people and changing lives throughout Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry Counties for over 50 years. Offering a comprehensive approach to individual, family, and neighborhood success, Tri County Community Action provides a myriad of programming and initiatives around early childhood and family development; employment, education and financial empowerment; housing security; and community development - all to create strong families and thriving communities.

Tri County Community Action’s Promise is to care about the entire community and acknowledges that even today, structural inequities leave some behind. Tri County Community Action believes that lifting diversity, equity, and inclusion and standing against hate is core to combating those structural inequities, making all communities a better place to live.

  • Helping People, Changing Lives - it is what we do, and here's how we do it.

  • Read more about some of the lives that have been changed.

  • Invest in our community here!

  • PAT Program Participant
    PAT Program Participant

    I enjoy the [PAT] program because I get to connect with the people who work at Tri County Community Action and other parents.

Our Impact This Year

Everything we do is aimed at disrupting and permanently breaking the cycle of poverty for everyone living in our community. 

Did you know that right now, 51,419 of your neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family members are economically insecure? 

Last year, 38% of the people we helped were working and providing the sole source of income for their households - 63% were women, and 51% of households had children in the home. These were and are hard-working, caring, and productive members of our community - they are YOU - and we helped 17,624 of you stabilize, sustain, and take steps toward economic independence. 

January 3, 2025

Breaking Free, Building Futures: Heather's Journey with Krissy

Our Family Development Coordinators' knowledge and skills allow them to go above and beyond for their clients. One client that knows this all too well is Heather, a mother of two, who escaped a domestic violence relationship thanks to guidance from Krissy Dressler, Family Development Coordinator.

Krissy began working with Heather and her daughter Natalie when Heather had concerns about her daughter meeting her developmental milestones. While working with the family, Krissy noticed that Heather was showing signs of being in an unhealthy relationship. Krissy provided Heather with the domestic violence hotline number so that she could get help. Shortly after, thanks to the encouragement of her best friend and Krissy, she was able to get out of the relationship and move out with her two daughters.

Since Heather has escaped, both she and Natalie have been making progress towards their goals. Natalie has been meeting most of her developmental milestones and is focusing on potty training in daycare. In just a year of working with Heather, Krissy’s encouragement also helped her find a job, start to attend school, and leave an abusive relationship. Heather, has been able to start up community college classes at Harrisburg Area Community College, pursing a degree in social work. Heather says that Krissy’s encouragement is a large part of how she has been able to accomplish so much.

Heather values the time that she gets to spend with her daughter during the Parents as Teachers visits. She manages her schedule to ensure that she never misses a visit with Krissy. The family’s future goals are for Heather to have a career where she can sustain her family's needs and thrive. Natalie hopes to be kindergarten ready soon and flourish!

Heather’s progress is due to her hard work and dedication. Krissy has served as a reliable guiding light in their journey of growth both in and outside of the Parents as Teachers program. Heather’s story demonstrates just how impactful our work in Early Childhood and Family Development can be. Overcoming barriers becomes much less daunting when you have someone by your side.

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