There’s a successful formula being used in Wisconsin to increase the earnings of low-income workers, which has resulted in a 72 percent increase in annual income over the past three years! The Skills Enhancement Program (SEP) provides training opportunities to help low-wage workers enhance their marketable skills so they can obtain higher paying jobs with better benefits. SEP is coordinated by the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association (WISCAP) and administered locally through fifteen Community Action Agencies and United Migrant Opportunity Services.

The Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council (C-SCDC) serves as an outstanding example of how a community action agency literally opens up doors to improve the lives of community residents. Helping You Build a Brighter Future is the motto of the agency’s Home Ownership and Asset Development Center (HOC). The HOC features a multi-pronged approach to help low-income families (a) gain safe and affordable housing and (b) also become involved with saving to buy or repair a home, start or expand a business, or further their education.

As the designated community action agency for Prince Georges County (MD), United Communities Against Poverty, Inc. (UCAP) launched a Green Industry Certification Program (GICP) as a mission-driven strategy to maximize economic opportunities for those in poverty. GICP, also known as the Green Builders Program, was made possible through partnerships with Prince George’s Community College, the Joint Carpentry Apprenticeship Council, and the U.S. Green Builders Council.

The Missouri Alliance for the Development of Entrepreneurship (MADE) was formed in 2009 by the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency (MVCAA) to encourage entrepreneurship in Missouri. MADE consists of a diverse group of state, federal and non-profit entities and professionals whose collective efforts as allies offer a supportive environment for new business owners.

What’s the probability of 16-24-year-olds feeling hope when their pasts might include incarceration, drug issues, failed academic pursuits and work at dead end jobs? Very little is sadly the answer. The deck is further stacked against them in Hartford, Connecticut where the overall unemployment rate has recently been hovering around 9%. The state employment participation rates for 16-24 year olds are four times worse than those of 25-year-olds and older.

Like communities all across the United States, making ends meet is an ongoing challenge for families trying to stretch their income in Phoenix, Arizona. The gap between prevailing wages for many jobs and the ability to meet basic monthly living expenses is readily seen using the Living Wage Calculator available through the MIT

Operating under the Western Dairyland Community Action Agency, the Western Dairyland Business Center offers assistance and training in all aspects of business. Since 1993, the agency has helped more than 500 clients start businesses in Western Wisconsin, resulting in more than 1,000 full-time and part-time jobs. Clients include men, women, teenagers, minority populations, military veterans, disabled individuals, and low-income families.

We all believe in the American Dream. It is instilled in every one of us. The American dream is the deeply held belief that all people, no matter their background, can achieve their goals through hard work and dedication. Community Action Agencies across the nation embody that spirit and national pride. In September 2009, the Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska created Asset Building Choices (ABC) to help open the doors to economic independence for working families with low or modest incomes.

The issues surrounding the need to find alternative energy sources to offset the dwindling reserves and dependence on foreign sources of oil and gas are well known. Yet, the complexity of creating an indelible change on a culture is monumental. HELP-NM created a successful solar panel installation training program for farmworkers and low-income participants who were either unemployed or underemployed.

Are you able to effectively describe how the work of your agency is making a difference in your community? Can you demonstrate that your funding is invested in high-impact efforts to address both immediate and longer term poverty needs and conditions?