Community Action Helps People and Changes Lives

Over the past 50 years, Community Action Agencies across the country have worked tirelessly to leverage resources, develop local programs, and administer grants to help low-income families and individuals achieve self-sufficiency to fight the war on poverty. Over the past year, in honor of the 50^th anniversary of the signing of the Economic Opportunity Action of 1964, we have celebrated the 50 best things about Community Action. Though our anniversary celebration is winding down, our successes and stories of hope, achievement and movement toward our mission, will continue.

The Community Action Promise states: “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.”

For the over 6,000 staff serving all of Ohio’s 88 counties through 48 locally controlled Community Action Agencies, this is truly the case. From emergency services and job training and placement programs to weatherization and housing development, people all across the state are moving toward that mission and helping low-income Ohioans help themselves by narrowing gaps and creating bridges and opportunities to move out of poverty.

The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies is proud of the work in our network and across America. There is still work to do and we look forward to celebrating the new and innovative programs that are created by Ohio’s agencies to help people and change lives. 

Community Action Keeps Kids Warm

For the second consecutive year, Jackson-Vinton County Community Action, Inc. (JVCAI) has provided hundreds of brand new coats to low-income children to keep them warm. The program, which was made possible by the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in partnership with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA), has already provided 290 coats to area children with more still available.

Community Action Provides Training

Fred had a liberal arts degree from Kent State University and struggled to find employment. Both he and his wife were working part-time jobs and struggling financially. They were the definition of the working poor. They were first referred to the Community Action Council of Portage County (CAC) by a board member who told them about a program that utilized Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to assist homeowners with repairs to their heating systems. The couple, who had two small children, had recently purchased a home in Kent through a first-time home buyers program and the furnace wasn’t functioning properly.

Community Action Helps Senior Citizens Remain in their Own Homes

The Scioto County Community Action Organization (CAO) Social Service Department received a call from Area Agency on Aging, District 7 on April 29.  The Passport case manager stated she had a consumer that needed repairs on a block foundation for a trailer.  She said the consumer was 69 years old, in a wheelchair, her trailer was an older model and the block foundation was not a permanent foundation, but stacked blocks. The foundation blocks settled or shifted over the years to the point the trailer was in danger of falling. As with most seniors, the consumer was not willing to move to an apartment or other household because the trailer and land was her home and she had lived on the property her entire life.

Will you be joining #GivingTuesday?

#GivingTuesday

Social media has created a number of opportunities for nonprofits to increase fundraising goals while lowering campaign costs. It has successfully launched several viral micro-donation campaigns such as the Cold Water or ALS Ice Bucket Challenges and it has enhanced year-end and year-round fundraising. 

You've likely heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday though have you heard of Giving Tuesday? The social media campaign, founded by New York’s 92^nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation, created an outlet encouraging others give back after they grabbed a few holiday sales. The campaign quickly went viral and has since turned into a global movement.

“We have two [days] for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.” ~GivingTuesday.org

Like the annual sale-day traditions, Giving Tuesday follows the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, it lands on December 2, 2014. In 2013, over $300 billion was donated to charities across the United States with much of that being donated in November and December. On Giving Tuesday, donations connected with the campaign are expected to increase 90% over last year’s contributions. The campaign continues to gain momentum with social media boosts while it creates new donor traditions.

For more information, news, webinars, and tools for joining the Giving Tuesday campaign, visit www.givingtuesday.org. 

Community Action Provides Help in a Time of Tragedy

Danielle is a mother with three sons ages 9, 14 and 15. One morning as she and her family were getting ready for school and work, Danielle and her children experienced a tragic and life altering event. Danielle’s husband collapsed and died. She not only had to deal with the pain of losing her husband, but also with the reality of having to raise three boys on her own. When the Community Action Commission of Belmont County heard about her story, they reached out to Danielle to her to tell her about the John C. and Margareta Diest Kelsey Memorial Fund Program.

Community Action Helps People Attain Self-Sufficiency

Jane had been struggling to find and maintain employment. In the summer of 2006, she began utilizing the HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, which is operated by Washington Morgan Counties Community Action (WMCAP). This program is vital to the community and provides low-income residents the support they need to maintain affordable safe housing. Through the HUD Section 8 Program, participants are offered the option of participating in the Family Self Sufficiency Program (FSS). This option enables participants to obtain and grow an escrow account as an incentive to obtaining higher income and moving towards self sufficiency.

Community Action Serves their Local Communities

In 2001, Lawrence County lost the only hospital in the county, forcing 62,000 residents to seek services from hospitals across the river in West Virginia and Kentucky. Medical professionals vacated the community, $250,000 in hospital revenue disappeared from the area, and southern Ohio had a significant gap in their health care services. Upon the closure, the community called upon the Ironton Lawrence County Community Action Organization (ILCAO) to fill the void created in medical care.

Community Action Provides Support

After a recent job loss, a family was struggling financially and had fallen behind in their rent payments. They came to Geauga Community Action for assistance.

"UGG"! Are you ready?

Greg Bollenbacher,
Fiscal Director

Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG) or “Super Circular” will become effective for non-federal agencies beginning December 26, 2014. Is your organization ready? Fifty five staff members at 21 of Ohio’s Community Action agencies are more prepared now than they were.

OACAA/OCATO (Ohio Community Action Training Organization) hosted two regional trainings on September 23^rd and 24^th in Jeffersonville and Huron. Mary Pockl and Michael Zeno of Zeno, Pockl, Lilly & Copeland (ZPLC) presented information regarding the upcoming changes included in the Super Circular.

Prior to this change there have been multiple different circulars providing guidance for administrative requirements, cost principles and audits depending on whether your organization was a nonprofit, local government or an institution of higher education. The UGG provides this guidance for all of these types of organizations in 2 CFR 200. There are six subparts and eleven appendices, so don’t worry, there is plenty of detail included.

Mary and Michael summarized new acronyms and definitions, some key terms, pre-award changes, post-award requirements, procurement standards, pass-through entity (PTE) and cost principle changes as well as adjustments to audit requirements. Some examples include:

• Acronyms and Definitions: PPI (Personally Identifiable Information) and PPII (Protected Personally Identifiable Information
• Key Terms: “Contractor” will be used to replace “Vendor” and the term “Non-Federal Entity” (that’s us!) has been added.
• Procurement Standards: Do you know what is required for micro-purchases (<$3,000)?
• Audit Requirements: Will you still qualify as a low-risk auditee?
• Cost Principles: Are advertising costs allowable? Do we still need activity reports?

Michael even offered to provide a copy of his searchable PDF file on the portion of the UGG that covers cost principles. This file was sent to all the agencies in the Fiscal Group, which is comprised of Fiscal Directors (CFOs) from most Community Action agencies in the state. If you didn’t receive your copy and would like to, please give our office a call. If you are not a member of the Fiscal Group, and would like to increase communication and share ideas with agencies in Ohio, contact me at greg@oacaa.org to join and take advantage of this membership benefit.

All in all, the trainings were very well received and OACAA/OCATO is planning to continue and increase the number of regional trainings provided across the state. To stay up-to-date on upcoming trainings, subscribe to our blog and visit our website www.oacaa.org. 

Community Action Provides Direction

Mike had a good job that he lost unexpectedly. Unfortunately, to cope with this loss he turned to drugs. For the next nine years Mike would be incarcerated three times for charges of drug possession and selling.

Community Action Provides Opportunities

Many families come to a Community Action Agency’s Head Start program looking for help for their children, but in the process begin to see the resources available for their entire family. Following is the story of one such person at the Community Action Agency of Columbiana County:

Community Action Helps Expectant Mothers

Carrie, a first-time expectant mother, was unemployed and did not have support from her family members. During her pregnancy, she also had complications and was told that she may have to be on bed rest and receive injections to speed up the baby’s lung function development. In October, Carrie enrolled in the Help Me Grow Home Visiting program at Gallia-Meigs Community Action Agency for assistance.

The Help Me Grow (HMG) program provides first-time expectant parents or parents with a child that is six-months-old or younger with home visitors that teach them an evidenced-based parenting curriculum called Parents as Teachers. Children are screened to make sure they are reaching developmental milestones. The program also provides support and referrals to other community services.

Getting Started with Social Media: The Top 5 Sites Explained

Kathryn Clausen,
Communications Director

Navigating the world of social media can be a little overwhelming with new sites gaining momentum daily. While there are similarities, each site has its strengths, weaknesses and specialties. If you’re new to the social media scene or are considering getting your agency started, below is a quick run-down of today’s top five social media sites.

• Facebook: Facebook is not only a social media site, it’s a verb! “Facebooking” is a pastime across the world with nearly 60 percent of social media users interacting on the site daily. Though the most common age demographic is between 25 and 34 years old (53 percent being female), people of all ages and genders continue to interact and connect with friends, family, companies, charities and causes. Facebook is generally considered a good stepping stone into the social media world. It has the highest number of daily users, provides excellent analytics to see how you’re interacting with followers and has an easy to use mobile application for page management.
• YouTube: Not only a social media site, YouTube is also one of the most popular search engines around. Since its creation, billions of people have watched, discovered, learned and shared inspiring, funny, educational or other videos. Many bloggers have moved from traditional blog posts to vlogging (video weblog) using YouTube and with over 6 billion hours of video being watched each month, YouTube is a great way to share visual messages.
• Google+: Considered a mere toddler of social media, Google+ is one of the fastest growing social media sites ever. Built from a user’s Google account, communities, circles, and hangouts are created based on your interests and online interaction. With over 500 million daily active users Google+ is worth consideration to expand social media outreach.
• Twitter: My favorite description of Twitter when it burst onto the social media scene was, “Twitter is to Facebook what Post It Notes are to blogs.” With only 140 characters, Twitter users maintain an up-to-date news feed filled with hashtags and photos to join and stay in the conversation. Twitter is a fast-paced social media site with a constantly changing news feed. Users tweet, retweet, favorite and reply to over 500 million tweets per day.
• LinkedIn: Reported to be one of the oldest social media sites and the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn’s 300-million-strong daily users interact with 3 billion professional profiles in 200 countries and territories. Users connect with classmates and colleagues to share the latest business news and get inspired to strengthen their business or career.

One of the most effective ways to share the Community Action mission and current agency events with neighbors, elected officials, funders, the media, and the local community, is by creating and maintaining social media profiles. Want to learn more about how to get started or gain a following? Subscribe to OACAA’s blog for future updates.

Community Action Helps People Help Themselves

Robert was an unemployed 27year-old high school dropout who was badly addicted to heroin. His addiction had progressed to a point where his family felt they had to break all connections with him.

Community Action Helps People Make Ends Meet

GD and his wife are both diabetic and with their costly bills struggle to have enough to afford healthy foods. On a regular basis, GD visits Highland County Community Action Organization’s food pantry program for help. The agency changed their intake process for the food assistance program to include a full assessment and realized they could provide more assistance to GD and his wife.

What is the OACAA Poverty Simulation?

Lorie McClain, Program Specialist

The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies’ (OACAA) Poverty Simulation is a walk in another person’s shoes. It’s about sharing experiences and making a connection to the conditions of those in poverty. Give yourself one time in this experience of poverty and it can lead you to a new understanding and renewed dedication to fighting against the ties that bind people to poverty.

During the 2-hour simulation, participants role play one month in the life of a low-income family and aim to provide their family’s most basic needs which include food, clothing, and shelter, while overcoming financial limitations such as unemployment, health issues, housing challenges, food insecurities and other obstacles. Family units interact with resources available in the mock community including banks, grocery stores, community action agencies, Job and Family Services, pawnshops, utilities, employers and more. The simulation occurs over four 15-minute “weeks” and mirrors life below or near the poverty line.

For 46.5 million people in the United States, poverty is not a simulation or game. OACAA’s poverty simulation illustrates the realities of poverty and emphasizes the awareness of policies in your community which hinder individuals from becoming self-sufficient. OACAA hopes this simulation will spark in the participants their desire to volunteer, fund, and initiate innovative ideas that will alleviate poverty and empower low-income families in their communities.

If your agency would like to be equipped to effect change in your area or organization by taking part in an OACAA’s Community Action Poverty Simulation please contact Josh Summer at josh@oacaa.org to check for availability. This simulation requires a large meeting space, 17 volunteers for resources that are available in the “mock community” and can be held with as few as 40 participants and as many as 148. The session includes a forum at which participants can express any misunderstandings they have/had about what it means to live in poverty and reflect on what they have learned.

Community Action Helps People Save Money

Dortha is a single mother of two young children. She has a good job at a local restaurant, but she still struggles to support her family. Sometimes she needs assistance with her utility bills and she couldn’t afford a car.

Community Action Provides Nutrition

Many low-income individuals lack the access or money for fresh, healthy food options. To help combat this problem, the Lancaster Fairfield Community Action Agency (LFCAA) started a Farmer’s Market.  The Farmer’s Market provides low-income people with boxes of fresh produce, including potatoes, carrots, corn, onions, grapes, and more – as well as a loaf of bread and a peach pie.

Community Action Makes a Difference in People's Lives

Kim, a client of Ross County Community Action Commission explains how Community Action made a difference in her life:

Community Action Increases Skills

A single father was experiencing financial hardships due to the limited wages he earned at his job and faithfully paying his child support each month for his two small children, whom he shares custody of with his ex-wife. He turned to the Community Action Organization of Delaware, Madison and Union Counties (CAO of DMU) looking for assistance with his utilities. While there, CAO of DMU enrolled him in their Family Development program.

Community Action Prepares Children for the Future

Many Community Action Agencies offer programs for children to ensure they get the education they need to succeed in the future. One example is Trumbull Community Action Program’s (TCAP) math and science lab for Head Start preschoolers.

Community Action Provides Hope

Following is a letter from a client who received assistance from HARCATUS Tri-County Community Action (Harrison, Carroll and Tuscarawas Counties) through the HOPE program. HOPE stands for Housing, Opportunities, Partnerships and Empowerment. As the name indicates, the program was designed to provide hope for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by providing them with the opportunities, partnerships and empowerment needed to combat homelessness. This included comprehensive case management services that provided counseling, assistance with budgeting, financial literacy, job search assistance, education regarding how to be a good tenant, household management and other skills, and access to other resources, such as utility assistance. The program is now available through the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP).

Community Action Prepares People for Jobs

A client explains in their own words how Stark County Community Action Agency (SCCAA) helped them gain the skills needed to start a new career:

Community Action Helps Senior Citizens

Clara is an 83-year-old senior citizen who was referred to Lima/Allen Council on Community Affairs (LACCA) by Job & Family Services Adult Protective Services Unit because she did not have heat in her home during the coldest period of the winter.

Community Action Provides Shelter and Safety

A woman describes in her own words how Clermont County Community Service, the local Community Action Agency in Clermont County, and their local shelter helped her and her children escape an abusive situation:

Community Action Helps People Start Over

Following is the story of how the Community Action Commission of Fayette County helped a client struggling with addiction and homelessness in the client’s own words:

Community Action Provides Meals for Seniors

Last summer a lady came to Kno-Ho-Co-Ashland Community Action Commission’s Coshocton Senior Center to inquire about their food programs. She had just turned 60 years old, and after working all of her adult life was recently laid off from her job. She had never had to ask or accept any help from anyone, but found herself in a desperate situation. She simply didn’t have enough money to go around and food was one of the things for which she just didn’t have much money.

Community Action Fills in the Gaps

Helen, a 64 year old home health aide, worked hard her whole life providing for her family. She had married soon after graduating high school, but divorced early in her marriage. After that, she moved in with her aging mother and raised her two children; working continuously over the years to support the family. In her fifties, Helen developed a serious heart condition, which required ongoing medical care and medication therapy. While working full time, she had health insurance and was able to manage the costs of her care. However, her mother passed away, her children moved out of the house and her job was eliminated. Now Helen was living alone in the house she grew up in and struggling financially.

Community Action Builds Relationships

Community Action Agencies employ a variety of programs to help low-income people achieve self-sufficiency. At Akron Summit Community Action one successful program that they utilize is Circles. The Circles philosophy believes that responsibility for both poverty and prosperity rests not only in the hands of individuals, but also with societies, institutions and communities. As such, Circles inspires and equips families and communities to resolve poverty by connecting people who are motivated to move out of poverty and become self-sufficient (known as Circle Leaders) with economically-stable volunteers from the community (known as Allies) who are committed to offering assistance to Circle Leaders.

Community Action is With You Every Step of the Way

Amanda was an 18-year-old stay-at-home mom to three young boys when she first turned to the Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC) for help with her utilities in 2008. At the time, she didn’t know her financial situation or even who her utility companies were because her “husband handled that stuff.” Now she is a single, self-sufficient mom with a degree in criminal justice and a good job with a local police department thanks to the help of NOCAC.

Community Action Helps People in Difficult Situations

A disabled woman was living with her daughter in an abusive situation when she turned to the Economic Opportunity Planning Association of Greater Toledo (EOPA), the local Community Action Agency in Lucas County, for assistance. Her daughter was charging her excessive rent, plus additional expenses, and being verbally abusive. She decided she could not take any more, but needed assistance with her rent to move out. The situation was so dire that she stated that if she did not get help with rent, she would rather be homeless.

Community Action Keeps People Healthy

Low-income people often lack access to affordable healthcare and many Community Action Agencies offer assistance with this. The Community Action Committee of Pike County  has been providing quality, affordable healthcare to people in southern Ohio for 30 years through their five healthcare centers known as Valley View Health Centers. And thanks to a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), they were able to improve preventive healthcare in 2013 by offering cervical cancer screenings.

Community Action Educates Children

By Al Stabilito, MYCAP’s Director of Communications and Outreach

Many Community Action Agencies offer Head Start pre-school programs, knowing that early childhood education helps to combat poverty. Also started as part of the War on Poverty, Head Start provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.

Community Action Provides Needed Transportation

Many low-income people struggle to get to jobs, doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, and other necessary errands due to a lack of transportation. This is especially true in rural areas. Several Community Action Agencies provide transportation solutions for their communities. Hocking, Athens, Perry Community Action (HAPCAP) provides a number of transportation programs, including their innovative GoBus.

Community Action Goes the Extra Mile

Dave, a father of two, had been without heat or electricity for several months due to an issue with the previous tenant. Unsure of what to do, he turned to Lorain County Community Action Agency (LCCAA) for help.

Community Action Provides Families a Place to Call Home

Many Community Action Agencies in Ohio provide low to moderate income housing for families. Miami County Community Action Council has been doing this since 1972.

Community Action Helps Young Mothers

Sydney had just graduated from high school when she became pregnant. Without any support and unsure what to do, she turned to Community Action of Wayne/Medina for help. “I just graduated high school and became pregnant at 18. I had no family support and was on my own,” Sydney explains.

Community Action Helps People and Changes Lives

Wendy Carter worked for several years in human resources, but decided to leave that career to spend more time raising her three daughters. She doesn't regret that decision, which happened just as her husband Allen’s work as a self-employed contractor plummeted during the recession. For the first time, Wendy and her family needed help.

Community Action Gives Ex-Offenders a Second Chance

Fawn's mug shot 

Fawn was a drug addict and 12-time convicted felon when she turned to IMPACT Community Action in Columbus. “I was homeless and felt helpless in Cleveland, Ohio. I literally lived on the street with my addiction. My face was plastered as a most wanted fugitive in Cleveland,” explained Fawn. “Drug and alcohol abuse became my life and my arrest actually saved my life.”

Community Action Keeps Families Warm and Safe

The Moisio family explains in their own words how Ashtabula County Community Action changed their lives:

Community Action Helps People Overcome Obstacles

A single mother-to-be living in Cleveland was pregnant with her first child when she lost her job, started falling behind in her rent and received an eviction notice. She turned to the Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland (CEOGC), the local Community Action Agency, for assistance.

Community Action Connects People

In 2002, GMN (Guernsey, Monroe and Noble) Tri-County Community Action Commission became the first and only CAA in the country to receive a United States Department of Agriculture Federal Broadband Connectivity Grant, spurring a mission to address a critical gap in Southeastern Ohio by bringing broadband service to rural Monroe County. With that initial government investment, GMN’s broadband program has grown from initially serving the town of Woodsfield into a self-sustaining enterprise with seven towers and over 700 customers.

Community Action Helps Senior Citizens Maintain their Quality of Life

Ms. Bookless is an elderly woman that maintains her independence because of the assistance offered through the Community Action Agency in Muskingum County, Muskingum Economic Opportunity Action Group (MEOAG). One program she utilizes is MEOAG’s Franciscan Community Meals on Wheels (FCM) program. She has also benefited from an air conditioner, refrigerator and other energy efficient measures through the American Electric Power- Community Assistance Program (AEP-CAP) administered by MEOAG.

Community Action Helps Fathers

Joseph was faced with the prospect of never seeing his unborn son while incarcerated in the Community Alternative Center. But this father-to-be started taking the Fathers Matter (24:7 Dads) course through the Community Action Commission of Erie, Huron and Richland Counties Richland branch. Now he has a full-time job, his probation requirements have changed, and he has visitation rights with his son.

Community Action Makes Homes Safer

Fred and Edna from the north end of Newark were good citizens and productive tax paying members of society. Then in 2001 tragedy struck and Fred needed a kidney transplant. Fred was only 56 years old and their lives had suddenly changed, but that was only the start. Fred then had a by-pass in his leg, followed by two heart attacks, a stroke, and now kidney failure.

Community Action Helps Our Youth

When Chanda, a mother of three, left her husband, she was not sure what to do. A friend told her about the Head Start pre-school program at Hancock Hardin Wyandot Putnam (HHWP) Community Action Commission. “[She told me] how great it was, how welcoming they felt, and how wonderful the teachers were,” Chanda said. It made her decide she wanted that for her children. After doing some research, she realized that while she couldn’t afford other pre-school opportunities for her children, her income qualified her for the Head Start program at HHWP.

Community Action Helps People Keep their Earned Income

Martha called the Pickaway County Community Action Organization (PICCA) for an appointment with their tax clinic with an unusual story. It was November and she had not yet filed her previous year’s tax forms. She believed she owed taxes and had requested an extension before the April 15 deadline. Being elderly and, in her own words, “slightly forgetful,” she forgot to file her taxes within the time allotted for an extension. Having recently moved to Pickaway County, Martha was having trouble keeping up with her rent and utilities. When she realized in November she hadn’t filed her taxes, she feared she would lose her house because of the money she owed and called PICCA for help.

Community Action Helps Our Most Vulnerable Citizens

A hearing-impaired and mentally challenged woman went to Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission needing assistance with her electric and fuel oil. Her electric was due to be shut off the following day and she had no fuel oil left. While the client could receive assistance through the emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), specific paperwork is needed to participate in the program. After reviewing her paperwork, it was clear that additional information was needed and she’d need to come back the following day. When the Ohio Heartland intake worker brought her back into her cubical to explain this she realized the client’s challenges and went the extra mile to help her.

Community Action Helps People Get Back on their Feet

All too often people fall on hard times to no fault of their own and need the assistance of friends, family, and the community to help pick them back up. Community Action has helped such individuals in that way for 50 years.

Community Action Helps Families

In January 2007, Regina came to Lifeline, the Community Action Agency in Lake County Ohio, to interview for a slot in the Family Development Program. The Family Development program pairs clients up with professional case workers who conduct comprehensive assessments, provide support and create action plans. Participants work on long-term strategies, skill building, and setting and achieving realistic goals and expectations to help obtain self-sufficiency and improve family life.

Community Action Helps People in their Time of Need

Corey was struggling after a very tough year. She was raising two young kids on her own after her husband was sent to jail for a life sentence for a horrendous crime. She had been working part-time at a gym for six years without a raise or discussion of full-time employment, and now as the sole bread winner she had no hope for supporting her family on such a meager salary.

Community Action Helps People Build Careers

 David dropped out of high school in the 11th grade when he could no longer deal with the bullying at his school and teachers were unable to help him. Now at 20-years-old, he was living with his mom, spending his days playing video games, hanging out with friends in a similar situation. Then he came to the WSOS Community Action Commission’s YouthBuild program in Toledo.

Community Action Helps People Get Ahead

By Michelle R. Hopkins, Community Relations Manager, Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency

Two years ago Alexis decided that she wanted her daughter out of a regular day care and into a quality learning environment. She sought out Head Start, a curriculum Alexis knew she could trust, at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency (CAA). A single mom expecting her second child, Alexis also signed up for Head Start’s Pregnant Moms Program. Unfortunately, hard times hit, Alexis lost her job and was forced to move back home with her mother.

Community Action Celebrates 50 Years of Helping People, Changing Lives

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Community Action in America. To commemorate this historic event, we will highlight the 50 Best Things About Community Action throughout the year by sharing a success story with you each week from each of the 50 Community Action Agencies in Ohio.


Community Action Agencies were created as part of the Economic Opportunity Act, also known as the War on Poverty, which was signed into law on August 20, 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.