What Long-Term Support Can Do
New Study Highlights the Impact of BCOC’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Program
Image Description: A white headline reads “From Survival to Stability” on a blue and magenta background. The subheadline reads “New Study highlights the success of BCOC’S Economic Self-Sufficiency Program. On the right is a happy family of four, smiling at the camera outdoors.
Community Action is often recognized for helping people through urgent moments.
Food. Housing. Utilities. Transportation. Crisis support when there is nowhere else to turn.
That work matters deeply.
But a new study from Bucks County Opportunity Council shows something equally important: when families receive long-term coaching, education, financial support, and practical resources, they are not only able to get through a hard season.
They are able to build something that lasts.
In 2025, Bucks County Opportunity Council commissioned The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at Temple University to study graduates of its ES Program. The project included a survey, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews to better understand how graduates — and their children — have been doing since leaving the program.
The findings are encouraging.
They also confirm something Community Action has known for years: long-term support can create lasting change.
Image Description: a blue, green and grey graph shows concentric circles. At the top text reads “BCOC is proud to share Temple University’s Hope Center for Student Basic Needs Study of our Economic Self-Sufficiency Program.
The graph shows study findings, with 97% crediting the support of their coach, 96% crediting the financial resources provided, and 94% crediting the food distribution cards for the success. At the bottom, it reads “ES graduates found that their success was based on these services provided by the BCOC.”
Stability and Growth
The report shows strong outcomes across many parts of life.
When asked which services helped them most, 97% of graduates named the support of their coach. 96% named financial resources, and 93% pointed to food distribution and gift cards.
The study also found that:
83% of graduates said they did not need more help from the ES Program after graduation.
66% reported stable employment.
59% said their career was on an upward path.
45% pursued more education or training after graduation.
80% reported stable housing.
The findings also showed improvement in mental health and well-being from before program enrollment to graduation.
That mix of results tells an important story. Families were not only getting through a hard season. Many were building a stronger foundation for the future.
As Erin Lukoss, CEO of Bucks County Opportunity Council, shared:
“This study confirms what we have witnessed for years through the stories of our graduates. When families are provided with the right combination of support, coaching, education, and resources, they can not only break the cycle of poverty but create a stronger future for their children and future generations.”
Image Description: A textured blue background has a quote from Megan Shreve, CEO of South Central Community Action Programs, “AI can help create more time for real work: building relationships, meeting people where they are, and helping them move toward their goals.”
That was one of the clearest throughlines of the Summit: technology can help carry some of the administrative weight, but it cannot replace the trust built between people.
Attendees left with new ideas for AI policies, stronger prompts, clearer use cases, and a better understanding of how technology can support their teams without adding more burden. In the Summit closing notes, one attendee shared, “We need to embrace some technologies and free up time for the front-line workers to do what they do.”
In Community Action, efficiency is never just about doing more. It is about making sure people have the time, energy, and capacity to do the work that cannot be automated: listening, building trust, meeting complex needs, and walking alongside people as they move toward stability and possibility.
The Summit also created space for something that can be harder to measure, but just as important: belonging.
Attendees described the experience as open, welcoming, and energizing. MarySebastian Summerstroh, Founder and Executive Director of Nothing About Us Without Us Creative Arts Therapies, shared that while many organizations talk about inclusion, they could “feel, and see at the CAAP Summit how much of a culture of community the organization has.” They also admired the themes of “radical acceptance and empowerment of ALL people” that they witnessed throughout the event.
That kind of feedback speaks to something CAAP works hard to create.
A professional event can share information. A meaningful conference creates the conditions for people to show up fully, engage honestly, and leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.
Image Description: A textured cream background with Blue text reads “When families are provided with the right combination of support, coaching, education, and resources, they can not only break the cycle of poverty but create a stronger future for their children.
The impact reaches beyond one generation
One of the most powerful parts of the study is what it found about the children of ES graduates.
The report shows signs of real intergenerational impact.
Graduates shared that their children were better positioned than they had been. Some had completed degrees or certifications. Some had become first-generation college students. Many had developed stronger financial habits and a clearer sense of stability because of what they saw their parents work through and achieve.
The study also found improvements in children’s physical and mental health. In interviews and focus groups, many graduates described becoming stronger, more present, and more confident parents as stress levels went down and stability increased.
Erin Lukoss put it this way:
“This study validates the long-term impact we have always hoped the ES Program was making in the lives of families. What is especially meaningful is seeing how the effects extend beyond one generation, helping parents build stability while creating new opportunities and hope for their children.”
That is a powerful reminder that poverty work is never only about the present moment.
It is also about what becomes possible next.
Image Description: A textured blue background has a quote from Erin Lukoss, CEO of Bucks County Opportunity Council, “The effects extend beyond one generation, helping parents build stability while creating new opportunities for their children.”
Why this matters for Community Action
This study is about one program in one county.
But its message is much bigger.
It speaks to the value of long-term investment. It shows what can happen when communities support families with more than a temporary fix. And it reflects the kind of work Community Action Agencies across Pennsylvania do every day.
Families need immediate help in times of crisis, and they also need real paths forward.
Community Action is built to do both.
As Erin Lukoss shared:
“This report demonstrates that economic mobility is possible when communities invest in long-term solutions instead of temporary fixes. The impact extends far beyond one individual; it strengthens entire families and helps break cycles of generational poverty.”
That is what this work is about.
Not just helping someone make it through the week.
Helping them build a future.
Image Description: A textured magenta background reads “Economic mobility is possible when communities invest in long-term solutions.”
Start with your local agency
Programs look different from one community to the next because each local agency responds to local needs.
Your local Community Action Agency creates long term solutions along with immediate support. Finding out who supports your community is a excellent first step to making a difference. Click here to find your local agency and explore the services available in your community.
Image description: On the left is the magenta “huggy heart” that symbolizes community action, and on the right is blue text on a textured cream background, “Long-term support creates lasting change.”