South Central Human Resource Agency

What South Central Human Resource Agency does

South Central Human Resource Agency (SCHRA) is a private non-profit Community Action Agency founded around 1973 (with operational history extending to 1965) and headquartered in Fayetteville, Tennessee. The organization delivers integrated social services to low-income individuals, families, seniors, veterans, and non-violent offenders across 13 counties in southern middle Tennessee (Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, Maury, Moore, Perry, and Wayne). SCHRA's core product portfolio comprises 14 federally and state-funded programs, including Head Start/Early Head Start, LIHEAP energy assistance, Weatherization, American Job Centers (WIOA), Senior Nutrition congregate and home-delivered meals, Recovery Courts, Representative Payee services, Foster Grandparents, SCSEP/Title V senior employment, EFAP emergency food distribution, Protective Services, Veterans Resources, and Community Service Block Grant programming.

SCHRA has no proprietary technology systems; its digital footprint consists of a WordPress-based website (schra.us), a Facebook page, and a YouTube channel. Services are delivered through a physical network of 13 Neighborhood Service Centers, multiple Head Start facilities, 20 senior congregate meal sites, American Job Centers, and Recovery Court offices. The organization's revenue model is entirely grant-dependent, drawing from federal sources (HHS/Office of Head Start, DOE, Social Security Administration) and Tennessee state agencies (THDA, Department of Mental Health, Department of Agriculture), supplemented by minor Representative Payee fees and event catering income that subsidizes senior nutrition programs. Executive Director Sara Brown leads a 501-1,000 employee organization governed by a board of county mayors and community representatives. In 2024, Governor Bill Lee recognized SCHRA as the top-performing agency in Tennessee for the Youth Employment Program, having placed over 800 participants in employment.

Name

South Central Human Resource Agency

Legal name

South Central Human Resource Agency

Website

https://schra.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

South Central Human Resource Agency (SCHRA) is a non-profit Community Action Agency delivering Head Start, energy assistance, employment, senior nutrition, and social services to low-income residents across 13 counties in southern middle Tennessee, funded primarily through federal and state grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA), Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)

Keywords

• Community action services
• Social services nonprofit
• Early childhood education
• Workforce development services
• Senior nutrition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Fayetteville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Grant Funding: SCHRA operates as a non-profit agency funded primarily through federal and state grants including Head Start (Administration for Children and Families), LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), Weatherization Assistance Program (U.S. Department of Energy), Community Service Block Grants, and various programs under the Older Americans Act.
2. Event Catering Revenue: The SCHRA Nutrition Department generates revenue by catering public and private events. All catering income is used to subsidize the Nutrition Congregate Program for seniors.
3. Representative Payee Program Fees: The Representative Payee Program is funded through authorized fees collected from client benefit payments, as established by the Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

South Central Human Resource Agency (SCHRA) is a non-profit Community Action Agency delivering federally and state-funded social services to low-income individuals and families across 13 counties in southern middle Tennessee. Its core offerings include Head Start/Early Head Start early childhood education, LIHEAP energy assistance, workforce development through American Job Centers, senior nutrition meal programs, weatherization, justice services/recovery courts, and representative payee financial management. Services are delivered free of charge to eligible clients through a network of 13 neighborhood service centers.

Product overview

South Central Human Resource Agency operates as a unified social services platform offering multiple interconnected community programs across 13 Tennessee counties. The core portfolio includes Head Start/Early Head Start for early childhood development, LIHEAP for energy assistance, American Job Centers for employment services, Senior Nutrition for elderly meal programs, Weatherization for home energy efficiency, Justice Services/Recovery Courts for substance abuse intervention, Representative Payee for financial management, Community Service Block Grants for comprehensive family assistance, Foster Grandparents for senior volunteering, SCSEP/Title V for senior employment, and support services for veterans, protective services, and emergency food assistance. These programs work collaboratively through Neighborhood Service Centers to provide holistic support to low-income individuals and communities, with the goal of promoting self-reliance through partnerships with local, state, and federal resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Head Start and Early Head Start Comprehensive child development program providing early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to children birth to 5 years and pregnant women from low-income families across 13 Tennessee counties.
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Financial assistance program providing energy cost support to elderly (60+), disabled, or low-income households for heating and cooling expenses, with awards ranging from $174 to $750 based on household energy burden.
• Employment Services / American Job Centers Job placement and workforce development services providing employment assistance, education, training, resume writing, mock interviews, and subsidized training program placement across 13 counties.
• Senior Nutrition Program Meal services for seniors aged 60+ providing hot nutritious noon meals in group settings (20 congregate sites) or delivered to homes, plus nutrition education across 13 counties.
• Weatherization Assistance Program Energy efficiency improvement program enabling low-income families to reduce energy bills by improving home energy performance using advanced technologies and testing protocols, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Justice Services / Recovery Courts Substance abuse treatment and judicial supervision program managing recovery courts in Lincoln, Maury, and Lawrence counties, helping non-violent offenders become productive members of society through intensive case management.
• Representative Payee Program Money management services for individuals unable to budget or pay bills, ensuring beneficiaries have stable housing and consistent access to funds for food, personal needs, and daily living expenses, funded through authorized fees from SSA and VA.
• Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) Comprehensive assistance program providing employment help, asset management, emergency assistance, health services, home-delivered meals, and case management for low-income families.
• Foster Grandparents Program Volunteer mentorship program where adults 55+ serve as role models and tutors to children with exceptional needs in local schools, Head Start centers, and after-school programs, receiving stipends and reimbursements.
• Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP/Title V)
• Protective Services Homemaker Program Supportive services for adults threatened with abuse, neglect, or exploitation, providing homemaking and daily living skills training to help clients remain safely in their homes.
• Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) USDA commodity food distribution program contracting with Tennessee Department of Agriculture to provide donated food items to households at or below 150% of federal poverty guidelines.
• Veterans Resources Support services for veterans across 13 counties, providing Community Service Block Grant funding to Veterans Service Offices and direct assistance through LIHEAP and nutrition programs.
• Event Catering Public and private event catering service provided by the Nutrition Department, with proceeds used to subsidize the Nutrition Congregate Program for seniors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ youth placed in employment through Youth Employment Program, recognized as top-performing agency in Tennessee
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Head StartcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCHRA receives federal Head Start grant funding through the Administration for Children and Families to provide comprehensive early childhood education services. The website states 'This website is supported by Grant Number 04CH012673 from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families.'
• Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHDA administers LIHEAP funds in Tennessee and provides the online application portal for energy assistance programs. SCHRA clients apply through THDA's SmartSimple online system.
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeatherization Assistance Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered in Tennessee through THDA.
• Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding source for Recovery Court programs in Lawrence and Lincoln Counties. Provides grants for program coordinators and Recovery Court implementation.
• Tennessee Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCHRA contracts with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to distribute USDA commodities to households through the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
• Tennessee Reconnect ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState initiative helping adults return to higher education. SCHRA American Job Centers connect clients with Tennessee Reconnect resources for skills advancement and degree completion.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency: Another Tennessee Community Action Agency operating a comparable multi-county portfolio of Head Start, LIHEAP, employment, and senior services in the adjacent Upper Cumberland region. SCHRA's most direct geographic and operational peer in Tennessee.
• Mid-Cumberland Human Resource Agency: Tennessee CAA serving counties adjacent to SCHRA with the same Head Start, LIHEAP, CSBG, and workforce development service stack. Closely comparable in mission, funding model, and program mix.
• East Tennessee Human Resource Agency: Regional CAA in eastern Tennessee operating a parallel integrated social services portfolio across multiple counties. Direct structural peer in service delivery and grant-funded model.
• Highland Rim Economic Council: Tennessee CAA serving a multi-county service area in middle Tennessee with comparable Head Start, workforce, and senior service programs. Closely mirrors SCHRA's operating model.
• Community Action Partnership of Kentucky: Statewide CAA network operating through similar federal antipoverty funding streams (CSBG, Head Start, LIHEAP). Comparable in mission and integrated service approach, though at a larger aggregated scale.

Others

• National Community Action Foundation: National advocacy association representing Community Action Agencies like SCHRA. Not a direct operator but an industry-association peer that shapes the policy and funding environment SCHRA depends on.
• American Job Center Network (DOL): Federally administered workforce development system under WIOA in which SCHRA's American Job Centers participate. Overlaps functionally with SCHRA's employment services but is a public infrastructure peer rather than a competitor.

Emerging players

• Feeding America: National food bank network that partners with CAAs on EFAP and TEFAP commodity distribution. SCHRA's food assistance services (EFAP, Senior Nutrition meals) overlap thematically with Feeding America's mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUJS-U6opIRXntynZv0Ofxw
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/South-Central-Human-Resource-Agency/461447633953137
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-central-human-resource

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Central Human Resource Agency