Community Action News
May 2022
WE ARE
COMMUNITY ACTION

Happy Community Action month! Throughout the month of May, we join with our colleagues - some 1,000 agencies strong throughout the United States- to celebrate the great work and positive impact our collective network is making.
 
Our focus in this month's newsletter is our advocacy and public policy work - critical components in our efforts to support families on a pathway to self-sufficiency. Helping those who have traditionally had little voice find theirs and sharing the stories of positive impact in order to guide public policy, as well as legislative and budgetary decisions at the local, state, and federal levels. Whether it be through public events such as our Community Conversations series or more behind-the-scenes, direct outreach efforts, WCAC works to ensure the varied and ever-changing needs of those we serve are kept a priority at all levels.
 
We remain committed to the promise of community action: "Community Action changes people's lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other. "
HISTORIC HAPPENING

On Friday, May 13, 2022 the U.S. House of Representatives took a vote to reauthorize the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) program. The vote was historic in that the reauthorization has been nearly twenty years in the making! CSBG is a federal block grant program in which states receive funds according to a statutory formula. In turn, states fund a network of local entities including, but are not limited to, local governments, migrant and seasonal farm worker organizations, and Community Action Agencies. CSBG resources support critical programs and services including employment training and placement, income management, education, emergency services, health, nutrition, transportation, housing assistance, and providing linkages among anti-poverty programs. WCAC receives an allocation of $670,000 in CSBG annually, which enables us to respond to the ever changing needs of our community.

We are most grateful to Congressman James McGovern (above) who, as chair of the House Rules Committee, successfully shepherded the bill from committee to a vote by the full House where it was at long last approved. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate where it awaits action. Please join us in reaching out to our U.S. Senators - Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey - to advocate for the prompt consideration of the bill.
MONEY MATTERS

One of WCAC's primary focuses of advocacy comes in ensuring our programs and services are adequately funded at both the state and federal levels. Tracking budget line items and staying on top of fluctuating funding levels is critical to our ability to deliver quality services to those in need.
 
The Massachusetts State Senate just released its FY23 budget on May 10th and is expected to debate and vote on it next week. From there the budget will go to a conference committee comprised of members of both the State Senate and House of Representatives who will hash out differences between their two budgets before sending it to the Governor for his approval. Our office is in regular contact with our local elected officials and is fortunate to have bipartisan support for many of the programs and services we provide.
 
Please join us in reaching out to your state senator to advocate for these specific budget amendments:
 
Amendment 150 – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, sponsored by Senator Comerford
This item would increase resources from $820,000 to $1.5m for the volunteer income tax assistance program. WCAC is one of four providers of the program in the City of Worcester and has expanded our reach to include hundreds of households within southern Worcester County.
 
Amendment 239 – Community Action Agencies, sponsored by Senator Moore
This item would allocate $7.5m in operational support for the 23 community action agencies throughout the Commonwealth, allowing us flexible funding in order to best respond to our service area’s ever-changing but ever-present needs.
 
Amendment 445 – Pilot to Address Cliff Effect, sponsored by Senator Lesser
WCAC is slated to be a partner in a Cliff Effect pilot which would utilize Earned Income Tax Credit to cover the gap families experience as they take steps to come off public assistance.
 
We continue to monitor and advocate for other amendments including several related to youth employment programs and rate reserves for early education and care programs and will be reaching out to members of the budget conference committee in support of all of these matters upon completion of the Senate budget process.
COLLABORATION IS KEY

WCAC staff participate in a variety of local working groups, task forces and coalitions in order to boost efforts to support local households in need. Working collaboratively strengthens our collective voice to impact funding, policy and legislative decisions pertinent to many of our programs and services. Whether it be food, jobs, housing, childcare, or other basic necessities, WCAC is committed to making the needs of those we serve a priority, particularly when critical policy and budgetary decisions are being made locally as well as at the state and federal levels.

Some of the many partnerships WCAC participates in include:

  • Worcester DTA Advisory Board
  • Economic Pathways Coalition
  • Mayor’s Task Force on Food Security
  • Worcester Economic Mobility Task Force
  • Worcester Cliff Effect Task Force 
  • MA Head Start Association 
  • MADCA (Massachusetts Association of Early Education & Care)
  • Program Committee for Regional Environmental Council (REC)
  • Youth Resource Network
  • MassHire Central Region Workforce Board
  • Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester
  • Central Region Workforce Board 
  • Central MA Youth Jobs Coalition
  • MA Energy Directors Association
OUR PARTNERS IN ACTION

Community Action Agencies (CAAs, also known as Community Action Programs or CAPs) are private, non-profit human service and advocacy organizations that were established by Congress and the President in 1964 to fight poverty by opening the doors to self-sufficiency. Since their inception as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, Community Action Agencies have helped low-income Americans escape poverty and achieve economic security. Through programs such as Head Start, job training, housing, food banks, energy assistance, and financial education, Community Action Agencies tailor their services to meet the needs of the individuals and communities they serve. Together, we put a human face on poverty, advocate for those who don’t have a voice, and provide opportunities. Today there are more than 1,000 Community Action Agency’s in existence, working in every state in the United States.
The Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) is the statewide association of the 23 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) operating in Massachusetts.

Through the combined skills and vision of its members, MASSCAP works to enhance the ability of each agency to better serve its clients. MASSCAP also works with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and other state agencies to open doors to economic prosperity for low-income Massachusetts residents.
Community Action Partnership is a national, 501(c)3 nonprofit membership organization that provides technical assistance, training, and other resources to Community Action Agencies, nonprofit and public groups funded by the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), a federal program that allocates funding to states to connect Americans to greater opportunity. The tools and resources provided to Community Action Agencies across the country by Community Action Partnership allow our Agencies to stay up to date on the latest best practices to empower individuals, families, and communities to succeed.
The National Community Action Foundation (NCAF), founded in 1981 and based in Washington, DC, is a leading voice on federal anti-poverty policy and serves as the federal advocate for the nationwide Community Action network, comprised of locally-based, anti-poverty organizations known as Community Action Agencies and their state and federal partners. NCAF's primary role is to lobby Congress on all funding proposals and policy initiatives critical to Community Action; build and maintain a bi-partisan coalition of support for the Community Action network in Congress; and identify legislative opportunities to expand the role of Community Action in anti-poverty programs and policy.
We Are Community Action!
USE YOUR VOICE
Your voice has power. WCAC invites you to join us in our advocacy efforts. Letters, phone calls, and emails DO make a difference to our elected officials. Hold them accountable to matters that matter to you, matters that matter to our collective community.

Find your MA State Legislators here. Find your Federal Legislators here.
One of the most impactful ways to use your voice is at the ballot box! Those elected to office make critical decisions which dramatically impact our collective way of life - locally, statewide and at the federal level. In the coming year Massachusetts will be electing a new governor, a new state senator for Worcester among countless local officers. You can register to vote online, by mail and/or in person. Let your voice be heard!

Quick Links
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