In This Issue...
Announcements | Upcoming Events | Resources | Capella/Strayer University Partnership
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The Mutual of America Community Partnership Award
Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.
Five organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award. One receives the Thomas J. Moran Award, which is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program. The remaining four are named Honorable Mention recipients, and each receives $50,000.
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Reminder: LAST WEEK for Legislative Day Volunteer, Client, and Legislator Nominations by March 25th
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MCA will be recognizing Community Action Volunteers, Clients, and a Legislator of the Year at our annual event, 1:00 PM ET on Thursday, May 19, 2022, during Community Action Month, in the Capitol rotunda.
We’ve updated the nomination forms for the 2022 MCA Community Action Awards and encourage all member agencies to nominate their favorite clients, volunteers, and Legislator of the Year to be recognized.
Here is a list of guidelines to consider when you think about your nominees. Each nomination requires approval from your Executive Director, so please get approval before submitting. The links to the electronic forms are below. We will give out five awards for agency volunteers and five for agency clients. Award winners receive a certificate and a $100* gift card. *Group winners will receive one gift card, but MCA can provide each person in the group with a certificate.
We are also soliciting nominations for MCA Legislator of the Year. The nominee should be currently serving as a state or federal legislator that you feel has helped your agency specifically or has generally been supportive of Community Action’s mission of reducing poverty in Michigan. In the past, legislators who were reliable supporters in their official positions and actions or who took part in and/or promoted your agency activities have won this award, so think broadly!
As items are updated about Legislative Day you will find the information on our website . All nomination forms are due by close of business Friday March 25, 2022.
Nomination forms are found here:
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March 30, 2022 - Building Cross-Sector Partnerships Workshop
10:00 AM ET
April 11, 2022 - ED Only Directors Council Meeting
1:00 PM ET
April 20, 2022 - Legislative Committee Meeting
9:30 AM ET
April 20, 2022 - Building Leadership Skills in Yourself and Others Session One Workshop
10:00 AM ET
May 4, 2022 - Building Leadership Skills in Yourself and Others Session Two Workshop
10:00 AM ET
For a full list of events,
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The Michigan Community Action Update is a round-up of important information for members of Michigan Community Action.
We may send more
frequent updates when
important information breaks
that impacts the
Community Action network.
We welcome your input and feedback.
Please send your comments and ideas here.
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2022 MCA Summer Conference Call for Virtual Presenters
MCA is seeking proposals for virtual live and pre-recorded workshops for the hybrid 2022 Summer Conference, July 25-28, 2022, Boyne Mountain Resort. If you are interested in being a presenter, please complete the Conference RFP
Click here to learn more and access the conference RFP.
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Update and a Call to Action from National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) on CSBG Re-Authorization
The full House Education & Labor Committee approved the Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act (HR 5129) by a vote of 36 to 14 on March 16, 2022. Eight Committee Republicans voted in favor of reauthorizing CSBG. Of the six bills considered by the full Committee yesterday, HR 5129 was one of the more contentious debates, but proved to be one of the most bipartisan bills approved by the House Education and Labor Committee this Congress.
With the exception of one member who was absent, all Democrats on the committee supported reauthorization. The two Michigan Congressional members that are on the House Education & Labor Committee are Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI-9) and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI-11).
Call to Action - Thank Reps Levin and Stevens: If you are constituents of the Reps. Levin or Stevens, NCAF urges you to thank them. Do this quickly and easily by using this link https://www.congressweb.com/NCAF/2#/2/]to to send them a message via email, phone call or Twitter.
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Register Now for These Upcoming Workshops
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21-Day Racial Equity Challenge
The Michigan Women’s Commission invites you to join a 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, created by and shared in partnership with the Michigan League for Public Policy. By enrolling in a MWC Cohort below, you agree to receive a daily email from the Commission for 21 consecutive days. Each email will contain a tool or resource to guide your learning, as well as a link to the League's online discussion forum for that day's topic. You will also receive an invitation to participate in a facilitated live reflection conversation with your fellow MWC Learning Cohort participants on the seventh, fourteenth and twenty-first days of your cohort.
Each cohort is limited to 25 participants.
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Forging a Pathway to Excellence for Your Community Action Agency
This webinar from NCAP on Apr 13, 2022, 2:00 PM ET, will discuss steps your agency can take to begin planning your excellence journey, including how to prepare your agency for the next Pathways to Excellence cohort enrollment scheduled for early summer 2022.
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2022 Administrative Professionals Leadership Lab
The 2022 Administrative Professionals Leadership Lab is designed with a focus on YOU! This year's theme is Operation SUCCESS: Back to the Basics! The presenters excel at helping others to achieve success and obtain professional goals. This virtual event is Wednesday, May 11 ,2022.
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Doing Evaluation in Service of Racial Equity
Explore Doing Evaluation in Service of Racial Equity, a transformational series of guides, commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and written by Community Science, that shares how-to knowledge for advancing racial equity through evaluation. Watch the three-part webinar series to hear from a diverse cadre of distinguished evaluators and social justice advocates who offer practical ways to embrace racial equity principles in your everyday evaluation.
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Toolkit for Building Organizational Resilience
Designed by the National Community Action Partnership and the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, this Toolkit for Building Organizational Resilience will help your team:
- Understand what makes an organization resilient.
- Recognize the importance of data equity.
- Develop or update systems that lead to ongoing resilience as an organization.
- Develop or update a crisis management plan that provides you with a road map to follow in an emergency or crisis.
- Fine-tune crisis communications strategies.
- Develop and implement an Agency Continuity Plan: a set of strategies to ensure that mission critical functions continue during an interruption and resume essential operations.
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Evaluate whether you have adequate disaster recovery strategies and plans in place.
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Fostering Equity: Creating a Shared Understanding for Building Community Resilience
This guide from the Center for Community Resilience aims to help us collectively see the historical underpinnings of structural racism and the traumas and disparities that result and conduct constructive conversations that lead to policy change. The path to a Resilient Nation – one in which all our communities can not only ‘bounce back’ in the face of adversity but thrive – must begin here.
Over the last five years, networks of Building Community Resilience partners across the country have been working together to build community resilience by addressing and mitigating the Pair of ACEs. This guide is an outgrowth of the experiences of these communities as our work together has emphasized the importance of centering equity at the heart of what it means to be resilient.
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Free Training Opportunity from Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) for Month of March
For Employee Appreciation Day CSH made available 5 of their fee-based self-paced courses free for the month of March. The titles included are: Avoiding Burnout Self-Paced Training; Onboarding Module: Housing, First & Harm Reduction; Working with Tenants: Key Strategies for Front Desk, Facilities, and Office Staff- Self Paced; Onboarding Module: Trauma-Informed Approaches to Supportive Housing; Healthcare Navigation Basics for Supportive Housing.
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Michigan Community Action, Capella University
& Strayer University Partnership
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Back to school savings with education built for real life
Ready to go back to school to gain the skills and knowledge you need to reach your career goals with access to education that works with your busy life? Capella University and Strayer University understand this. That’s why their Associates, Bachelor’s, Certificate and Graduate programs in human services, behavioral health, business, IT, and leadership & administration leverage what you already know and are grounded in real-world application.
Through our partnership with Capella, you and your immediate family have access to high-quality, online education and tuition savings that make it possible to earn a degree or certificate at a significantly lower cost and at your own pace. Capella offers you:
· Exclusive scholarships, grants and other savings for both universities, including a 10% tuition discount.
· Three learning formats—FlexPath, GuidedPath, and On-Campus that are flexible, affordable, and supportive.
· A student-centered approach, including support teams to help you be successful and persistent.
· Accredited and nationally recognized universities that meet the highest standards for quality.
Ready to learn more and get started?
Check out this PDF for information on programs offered.
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Save on your degree at Strayer University
Michigan Community Action and Strayer University have partnered to offer eligible employees of their member agencies access to flexible, affordable associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. If you’re thinking of earning a degree, we invite you to take advantage of special offers designed to help you meet your educational goals.
Special offers and scholarships available now
• $5,000 scholarship for new or returning Strayer students to apply toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree
• 10% tuition discount for the duration of your program*
* Tuition discount upon receipt of documentation of employment and eligibility.
Why Strayer?
At Strayer, you’ll get a modern, online degree that gives you the confidence to change your future. Our programs are built for working adults and our student services coaches offer support at every step. We believe in educational access, academic quality, student success and customer service.
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MCA Officers/Board Members 2021-2023
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Lisa Evans
President
Community Action of Allegan County
Morghan Boydston
Urban Officer
Washtenaw County Office of Community & Economic Development
Lisa Bolen
Lower Peninsula Rural Officer
Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency
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Michelle Williamson
Vice President
Community Action
Michelle LaJoie
Upper Peninsula Officer
Community Action Alger- Marquette
Toby Berry
At-Large Officer
Community Action Agency
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Kerri Duff
Secretary Treasurer
Gogebic Ontonagon CAA
Judge Gregory Pittman
CAA Governing Board Officer
Muskegon-Oceana Community Action Partnership
Mary Ann Neopolitan
CAA Governing Board Officer
Monroe County Opportunity Program
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MCA is continuing to observe CDC guidelines encouraging remote work practices and following local public health guidelines. The office remains physically closed to anyone outside of immediate staff. We are accessible by phone and email during normal business hours Monday through Friday, 8:30AM-5PM ET.
Be well and stay safe everyone. .
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