Community Action Agencies are local private and public non-profit organizations that carry out the Community Action Program (CAP), which was founded by the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act to fight poverty by empowering the poor in the United States. [1] CAAs are intended to promote self-sufficiency, and they depend heavily on volunteer work, especially from the low-income community. They also depend heavily on federal funding, which now comes primarily from the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program. Each CAA has a board consisting of at least one-third low-income community members, one-third public officials, and up to one-third private sector leaders. [2] There are currently over 1,000 CAAs, engaged in a broad range of activities; typical activities include promoting citizen participation, providing utility bill assistance and home weatherization for low-income individuals, administration of Head Start pre-school programs, job training, and operating food pantries. [2]
References
- ^ http://www.caplaw.org/background-mission.htm
- ^ a b http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/about/about_caas/default.asp#what_are
