Member Directory

Description

Southwestern Minnesota Opportunity Council, Inc. is a private non-profit, 501(c)3 Community Action Agency (CAA). SMOC was incorporated in 1965 to assist and serve the needs of low-income persons in Southwestern Minnesota. SMOC’s mission is “Strengthening our communities and people through opportunities and service.” Counties served are primarily rural areas. The following programs are offered: Child Care Aware, Early Learning Scholarships, Energy Assistance, Family Planning, Head Start, Homemakers Program, Housing Loan Programs, Nobles County Family Connections Collaborative, Senior Community Service Employment Program, Transportation and the Weatherization Program. Our Early Head Start program is year-round, and serves pregnant women and children zero to three through a home-based option, and our Head Start program is September through May and serves children three to five, through a center-based or home-based option, depending on the county. Our Head Start program partners with Greater MN to host a Social-Emotional Enrichment Development (SEEDs) classroom at our Head Start Center, which “. . . emphasizes the emotional and social development. . . while it supplements academic abilities.” Our Head Start program has also developed partnerships with various organizations, including Children’s Dental Services to offer dental clinics in an attempt to address gaps in services; Sharing Seeds to administer a backpack food program on a monthly basis; and, MN West Community & Technical College in an attempt to support bilingual parents and staff attain higher education, using a grant from the Southwest Initiate Foundation to help ease the financial burden that comes with obtaining higher education to name a few.