Blueprints is a nonprofit agency in Washington, PA that works to solve poverty, help their clients achieve stability & meet their needs independently in the future.

The agency operates dozens of programs in Washington & Greene Counties in PA & in West Virginia that help thousands of people become self-sufficient.

Blueprints works to improve early childhood education. It operates Head Start programs for children of low-income families, offering comprehensive child development programs to prepare 3-year-olds to 5-year-olds for school. Head start programs include health & nutrition services. Services are provided in Blueprints classrooms at Washington County Housing Authority locations & in people’s homes. The agency also offers Early Head Start & Pre K Counts programs.

Adult education improves people skills & helps them obtain their GED, which is an alternative high school diploma based on tests given in four subject areas. The Blueprints program teaches reading, writing, problem-solving & math skills that they would have learned in high school. Classes are held at Blueprints offices in Washington & Waynesburg.

Blueprints offers computer classes. Volunteers teach people the basics of using a computer, navigating the internet & working with Microsoft Office.

WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, & Children, is a federal program that provides healthcare & nutrition for low-income pregnant & breastfeeding women, & children under the age of five. Blueprints offers education, nutrition assessment & intervention for PA residents who meet eligibility requirements for the WIC program.

Blueprints helps home buyers figure out what they can afford to pay for a home & can point people towards down payment assistance. They offer financial literacy classes & counsel people individually on improving their credit scores.

Blueprints success stories are posted to the Washington County Community Foundation’s Heart of Giving Charity Storybook.

Blueprints employs more than 350 people.

Management is very helpful & treats you like family & they want you to succeed. A great place to start out after graduation. You learn with compassion & success.

Posted anonymously to Indeed by a former Blueprints caseworker

At A Little LIFT, people can make donations to help Blueprints participants overcome barriers. Dozens of financial requests are posted on the website. Many are marked successful.

Blueprints was founded as Community Action Southwest. It was a Community Action agency. Community Action agencies started in the 1960s as part of President Johnson’s War On Poverty during the civil rights movement. Community Action agencies were federally funded & locally operated to address local needs. Involving community residents has been central to their work. They’re governed by a “tripartite” board – one-third low-income community members, one-third public officials & up to one-third private sector leaders. Since their start, Community Action agencies have been controversial. President Nixon curtailed them. Under President Reagan, they came under intense scrutiny. President George W. Bush denounced them. Today, about 1,000 Community Action agencies continue to fight poverty in America.

Services offered by Blueprints varies for residents of Washington or Green Counties or West Virginia – check the Blueprints website for availability & eligibility.

Blueprints is located at 150 West Beau Street, Washington, PA 15301.