What Is Community Action?

Community Action Agencies are nonprofit and public groups funded by the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), a federal program that allocates funding to states to combat poverty across the United States.

The resources provided to Community Action Agencies across the country by the Community Action Partnership allow our agencies to stay up-to-date on the latest and best practices to fight poverty and empower low-income individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency.

We are committed to strengthening, promoting, representing, and serving our network of agencies to ensure that the issues of poverty are effectively presented and addressed. 

 

Community Action comes out of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty” and from the advocacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the network of locally-focused agencies serving low-income populations. True to our history, Community Action remains committed to addressing the root causes and conditions of poverty in the United States, as demonstrated by the diversity of programs provided by our agencies, which offer services from Head Start and other child development programs to weatherization assistance, job training, education support, and elder care programs, among many others.

 

Community Action Agencies are diverse in services and programs as we tailor our approach to meet the specific needs of the communities we serve, and strive to put a human face on poverty, advocating for those who do not have a voice, and providing opportunities for self-sufficiency.