ACF Office Promotes Efforts During Community Action Month
We now are a only a third of the way into May but it has already been a busy month for the Office of Community Services (OSC) within the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. This month, OSC is celebrating the 59th anniversary of the establishment of the Community Action Network via its Community Action Month, emphasizing that community action “creates pathways to prosperity by advancing equity, promoting economic stability and mobilizing resources that support community-driven solutions for the purpose of addressing the causes and consequences of poverty.”
In a recent Dear Colleague letter to the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Network, Charisse Johnson, director of the OSC Division of Community Assistance, promoted Community Action Month as a time to acknowledge and amplify the work the Community Action Network does to “embody the spirit of hope, improve communities, and make America a better place to live.” OSC will be issuing notices this month highlighting successes of the network and thanking those who makes community action possible. The theme of this year’s Community Action Month is “We See You: Partnering Across the Community Action Network to Advance Equity.”
Johnson urged all those involved in the CSBG Network to gain inspiration from others during the month to develop, enhance and implement efforts to further advance equity including:
- identifying and addressing the root causes of inequity in underserved communities;
- dismantling programs and policies that perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunity;
- breaking down service silos and promoting integrated care;
- developing methods to support grant recipients in strategic planning to address practices and policies that historically exacerbate inequity; and
- centering the voices of those served, as part of our commitment to equity.
The CSBG Network, which is comprised of states, tribes, U.S. territories, state associations, more than 1,000 Community Action Agencies, and national training and technical assistance providers, reaches children and families in almost every county in the nation. It supports families and communities in addressing the causes and conditions of poverty with services such as high-quality education programs like Head Start, job training, food banks and community gardens, access to stable and affordable housing and utility assistance.
Join us for our following Thompson Grants events:
Thompson Grants Workshop: Subrecipient Monitoring | May 23, 2023 | Virtual Event
Federal Grants Forum | June 28-30, 2023 | Portland, Maine
