This month, we’re excited to celebrate Community Action Month. Community Action Month is celebrated every May and is a reminder of all the great work community action agencies carry out in our communities every year. Community action agencies, like ours, work to eliminate poverty and to foster independence and self-sufficiency within the community.
According to the National Community Action Partnership, “Community Action comes out of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and from the advocacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the Community Action Network of national and locally-focused organizations that connect millions of children and families to greater opportunity. The nation’s Community Action Agencies embody our nation’s spirit of hope, change people’s lives, and improve communities. When national, state and local leaders tap into these agencies’ experience, they can promote workable solutions that connect more families to opportunity – and make America a better place to live for everyone.”
The Need & Impact of Community Action Agencies
At Opportunities for Williamson & Burnet Counties, our Community Services program, which embodies community action, helped transition 15 clients out of poverty last year. Additionally, we served 2,000+ total clients and over 900 households in our two-county area. Currently, we have approximately 70 clients working towards transitioning out of poverty through our Self-Sufficiency program.
Our Director of Community Services, Kori Ince, commented, “We create an impact on thousands of people each year. Community Services provides an invaluable energy payment assistance for our seniors and families through the CEAP program. And, through our Self-Sufficiency program, we are able to coach, mentor, connect, and help support individuals in achieving their dream of a higher education and better paying employment.”
This month, we celebrate all of our clients, our staff, and our community members. We will be spreading awareness for our Community Services program and its services, including the energy assistance program and the Self-Sufficiency program. We also invite donations this month for our Community Services clients. We provide supplemental food donations to our families, as needed, but it is also helpful to have H-E-B gift cards for our families in need (for food or gas). If you would like to donate H-E-B gift cards, please mail or drop them off at our main office.
Interested in learning more about the Community Action Partnership? Click here.
