According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, increasing access to affordable housing correlates directly with economic growth. Research shows that the shortage of affordable housing costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and productivity. Additionally affordable housing is the most cost-effective strategy for reducing childhood poverty, Stanford economist Raj Chetty found that children who moved to lower poverty neighborhoods saw their earnings as adults increase by almost 31%. Children in stable affordable homes are more likely to thrive in school and have greater opportunities to learn inside and outside the classroom. It is important we begin to understand how affordable housing strategies can be made in Pennsylvania.

Westmoreland Community Action announces groundbreaking Recovery FARM. The FARM will be a long-term recovery community where individuals will live after their initial detox and residential rehabilitation. This project is made possible by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to develop a feasibility study and implementation plan for expanding the current recovery-to-work ecosystem in Westmoreland County.

The Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP) is proud to announce the winners of the First Annual CAAPtivating Awards, held on October 18th, 2023 at the Eden Resorts in Lancaster. The awards ceremony, held as part of the CAAP Annual Conference, recognized individuals in the Pennsylvania Community Action Network for their excellence, dedication, and hard work in the fight against poverty.

Sue Auman, Executive Director of Union-Synder Community Action, has been honored with the President's Award for her outstanding service and commitment to the community on November 14th, 2023.

CAP Infinity Intermediate offers specialized training for Community Action professionals. It covers organizational tools, problem-solving strategies, best practices, coaching, mentoring, project management, and SWOT and SOAR analyses to enhance leadership and strategic skills in Community Action.

Tri County Community Action, in collaboration with Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh and representatives of the Pennsylvania Utilities Commission, convened on Wednesday to kickstart the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) season. LIHEAP, overseen by DHS, is a federally funded initiative offering direct grants to heating providers for low-income households. Grants range from a minimum grant of $300 to a maximum of $1000. Additionally, crisis grants are available for those facing service termination or possessing less than two weeks’ worth of deliverable fuel, such as fuel oil, propane, coal, or wood.

Lawmakers and nonprofit professionals relaunched Pennsylvania’s Charitable Nonprofit Caucus on June 21, 2023. Co-chaired by Representatives Abigail Salisbury and Joe Hogan as well as Senators Jay Costa and Lynda Schlegel Culver, this bicameral, bipartisan caucus will help ensure that PA's nonprofit community has the legislative support we need to carry out our critical missions.

CPC gets $550,000 grant to grow WIC program.

Through a federal grant, the Community Progress Council was awarded $550,000. Right now, about 9,000 people in the county take advantage of the program designed to help supplement and nurture healthy eating habits for pregnant women and parents of kids five and under.

Blueprints has created a crowd funding site specific for needs in their community through utilizing DCED discretionary funds. This fantastic website is another resource for the Blueprints team to make an impact and break barriers.

The Early Learning Resource Center for Region 7 (ELRC 7), serving Lycoming, Clinton, and Tioga counties, knows that when it comes to children, it still takes a village. ELRC 7 created an educational resource in hopes that everyone who is affected by the Early Care and Education crisis will have access to information to better understand what is happening in the profession, and what to do if they choose take action. The publication is available for free download www.stepcorp.org/daywithoutchildcare. A printed copy can also be requested at the same address.

Revitalize your board's knowledge with CAP Infinity - the efficient, asynchronous, and modern way to meet Organizational Standards for board training!

What is it? CAP Infinity for Boards is CAAP's latest course that meets the Organizational Standards for board training, covering the history of community action, continuous improvement, and data basics. The course is designed to be completed asynchronously, or the lessons can be done together as a board with individual assignments to be completed independently.

We are committed to being intentional in fostering diversity with equity and inclusion and rooting this in our decision-making through transformative DEI work. We are committed to evolving from “We do not discriminate” to “We are taking action to end disparities” by understanding and recognizing that pronouns are personal. Education plays a significant part in creating transformational work, and everyone can impact their working relationships with others. Knowing what pronouns are, why they matter, and how they can be used can change how we interact with others. We want all people to be respected and authentically belong here at CAAP. According to the Harvard Business Review workplaces who feel a high sense of belonging have 56% increase in job performance, a 50% drop in turnover risk, and a 75% reduction in sick days.