Community Action Month in May is your chance to celebrate and educate your community about the impact and importance of the work that you do as a Community Action Agency. 2023 marks the 59th year since the Community Action Network was established to help American families and communities overcome obstacles to poverty. Make sure to plan out how you will be participating in this annual outreach campaign. Visit the Community Action Toolkit for numerous tools and resources, including sample graphics, template press releases, and more. 

The annual Community Action Plan is due May 1, 2023. All components of the Community Action Plan (CAP) are submitted through CSBG Reporter. On March 2nd the CSBG Staff conducted a webinar to review the components of the CAP Plan. This webinar was recorded and added to LearnWorlds. We have also developed a CAP Tip Sheet which contains common questions regarding the CAP plan.

The Office Economic Opportunity VISTA member Wyatt Spage has been researching economic empowerment. Wyatt and the OEO team has composed a survey for Virginia Community Action Agencies. The focus of this survey is building generational wealth and self-sufficiency. With the survey’s result, we hope to create a tool kit. Hopefully, this tool kit will serve to economically empower more people in the Commonwealth. Please complete this survey by April 14th. Survey link: https://forms.office.com/g/b69nj8zbGe

To view a short webinar which describes the survey click here.

The Office of Economic Opportunity welcomes our newest AmeriCorps VISTA Member, Linda Russano. Linda will serve as Equity Specialist for our office and collaborate closely with the Virginia Community Action Agency network to provide informational tools and resources that expands equity work across the state. Following decades of work in private and public sectors, she brings a wealth of knowledge, ideas, and energy to the team. Linda’s previous experiences in asset management and marketing to systems implementation across the U.S. and abroad, has prepared her for this year of service. She looks forward to building capacity for CAAs in addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as an integral component of the recipe for reducing poverty. Linda is also known for creating culinary recipes as a published food and travel writer, highlighting her Hispanic heritage. Using creative approaches in her varied professional endeavors, she is excited to collaborate in improving the lives of Virginia’s residents. Welcome Linda!

We are excited to announce an upcoming workshop opportunity! The Virginia CSBG office will be hosting an in- person wellness workshop for Virginia Community Action Agency’s (CAAs) on May 8, 2023, from 9am to 4pm, at Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, VA. This workshop is designed specifically for frontline staff working at CAAs and will discuss how staff can address the vicarious trauma of day-to-day responsibilities, while building their capacity to cope in healthy and manageable ways.

In partnering with Barrenridge Consulting LLC, Drs. Tammy Gilligan and Michele Kielty, professors at James Madison University, proposes to provide guidance and leadership in addressing staff mental health through covering the following topics: Building up Ourselves and Others through Strengths; and Building Inner Resources for Self-Regulation and Coping.

This workshop will offer opportunities to network with other CAA staff with several small group breakout activities scheduled throughout the day. Make sure to register early - there will be a limit of 35 participants on a first come first serve basis. Lunch will be provided. The cost for the training is $75.

If you are a manager, executive director, and who is passionate about supporting all members of your staff- don’t miss this training!

Click here to register. Deadline to register is April 20, 2023.

We are excited to be partnering with the Region 3 Regional Innovation and Performance Consortia (RPIC) to offer a variety of trainings over the next several months. These trainings are open to any staff or board member who may be interested, please forward as needed. There will be two webinars each month between February and August, topics vary each month, so make sure to sign up for any session relevant to your position!

April Sessions:

• April 13 - How to Read Financial Statements - 2pm (Register)
• Learn how to use financial statements to evaluate your CAA’s financial health and sustainability, monitor progress toward financial goals, ensure compliance, and spot problems in time to solve them. Learn what to look for and where you’ll find it in your financial statements.
• April 27 - Authentic Communication, Part II: Emotionally Intelligent & Psychologically Safe Communication- 10am (Register)
• Learn about the five communication practices that leverage our emotional and social skills so that we can get the most out of our interactions. Plus, we will dive into the five practices that build safety for interpersonal risk-taking and allow team members to feel accepted and respected.

Registration is now open for the Commonwealth's leading event for individuals and organizations making a difference in communities. The VA Volunteerism Summit brings together over 300 leaders and professionals from the service and volunteerism sector to collaborate, innovate, and engage in professional development. This virtual event includes inspiring keynote sessions, engaging masterclass workshops for all experience levels, and unlimited opportunities to engage and meet other leaders focused on maximizing impact and creating change. Available at a new affordable rate, registration is just $75 for individuals and $70 per person for groups of five or more. Registration includes live access to the event, instant replays available for all sessions and workshops, 4 weeks of networking available through our dynamic new platform, and access to a wide variety of resources available for download from our expert speakers and partners. 

What to expect: 

• 25 workshops designed to teach hands-on skills, facilitate lively discussion, and share information in an interactive format
• NEW: Be the first to learn about the results of the Virginia Community Engagement Index, a brand new tool that engaged over 8,000 Virginians in sharing perspectives on service and civic engagement
• NEW: Get early access to brand new toolkits designed with resources to help promote and sustain community impact

See the full schedule and register for the Virginia Volunteerism Summit here! Space is limited, register today to save your spot. 

Please direct all questions to Analise Gammel at analise.gammel@dss.virginia.gov.

As part of the AmeriCorps VISTA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative, we will spotlight a variety of topics, activities, and resources to inform and inspire throughout the year.

April is National Minority Health Month! A 2002 Congressional Resolution established this month to promote educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other health disparity populations. This year, the event will focus on “culturally and linguistically competent healthcare services, information, and resources.” April 11-17, HHS also recognizes Black Maternity Health Week, which builds awareness toward equity.

In support of this endeavor, we’ll be sending out a special email during the week which will include a variety of educational materials. If your CAA has any related events planned during the month, please email linda.russano@dss.virginia.gov before April 11 for inclusion. In support of the national effort to shine a light on health disparities among minority populations, we’ve included a few helpful resources and tools:



• HHS on Minority Health Month
• NIH Minority Health Month Events
• NIH on Black Maternal Health Week
• NIH MM Portal
• CDC on role of Healthcare Providers
• NYT Interactive Feb 2 2023 Maternal Mortality
• KFF-Washington Post Health Policy Analysis on Racial Disparities
• Link to Trailer for Birthing Justice that Premiers April 10 on PBS
• Link to Trailer for Aftershock Streaming on Hulu