CEF: Community Empowerment Fund
Allison De Marco is an Advanced Research Scientist at UNC's Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and an Investigator specializing in family well-being in under-resourced rural communities. Allison also serves as Adjunct Faculty at UNC School of Social Work, teaching courses on economic justice and research methods. Additionally, Allison is a Social Work Field Instructor/Advocate at CEF, guiding MSW interns in providing support to individuals seeking financial freedom. In the past, Allison worked as a Community Organizer at Orange County Justice United, focusing on improving living and working conditions for residents. Allison holds a PhD in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley, among other degrees.
CEF: Community Empowerment Fund
Founded in 2009, CEF provides person-centered support, financial education, and asset building tools to individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Our approach combines person-centered support with financial services that pursue equity in order to reduce the racial wealth gap. CEF Members receive sustained one-on-one support from volunteer Advocates, trained in racial equity and trauma-informed care, to help achieve their chosen goals. Working with Advocates, Members secure housing, gain employment, and build savings in order to increase assets and sustain transitions out of poverty. CEF creates a community of support that empowers Members, offers experiential learning opportunities for Advocates to grow and learn, and advocacy and collaboration to address the systemic causes of homelessness and poverty. CEF’s work is grounded in recognition of the detrimental impacts of systemic racism on Black and Brown members of our communities. We leverage the combined resources of passion for sustaining transitions out of homelessness, dedicated volunteers, partners with shared values, and cross-spectrum collaborations to offer holistic support to each Member.