Community Action report released, showing impact of COVID-19 response across U.S.

One thousand+ Community Action Agencies helped communities through the pandemic

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the National Community Action Partnership (NCAP) releases a summary report of the Community Action Network's nationwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting communities across America. The network of local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) administers approximately $14 billion in financial resources into local communities in a typical year, providing full transparency and accountability for those resources and ensuring they achieve maximum impact in their communities.

"The global COVID-19 pandemic transformed the world and thrust the U.S. into one of the greatest periods of economic, physical and social fragility in modern times," said NCAP CEO Denise Harlow. "During the pandemic, Community Action Agencies kept people fed, housed and safe. They acted as lifelines across America, helping communities where it was needed most—supporting small businesses, leading vaccination efforts, opening shelters for those experiencing homelessness, aiding students with remote learning and so much more."

The new report highlights the human services response from March 2020 through June 2022. "Readiness to Resilience: The Community Action COVID-19 Story" illustrates how Community Action Agencies (CAAs) across the nation leveraged national and emergency funding and employed innovative strategies for building community resilience.

"Hundreds of CAAs across the country collaborated with each other and adapted how they deliver vital services in their communities," said Dalisto S. Sulamoyo, chair of the NCAP Board of Directors. "Pandemic recovery has been a period of fluidity, and we have been beacons of support. Agencies removed barriers and made their services easier to access by the people they serve."

CAAs deploy, leverage and coordinate a variety of federal, state and local resources to address local causes and conditions of poverty in their communities. The report highlights the responses of hundreds of CAAs from all of America—from cities to tribal territories. Included are examples of how the network leveraged both its regular $750 million Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) allocation, along with its $1 billion in CSBG supplemental funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, 2020 (CARES) Act, other existing funding and new investments from the federal government—including the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and the Coronavirus Response and Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRCAA).

Community Action operates at both a community and national level as a nationwide network of service providers and advocates. Community Action Agencies serve 99 percent of America's counties, spanning all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. The Community Action Network is comprised of 1,000+ CAAs, 55 state and regional associations, 56 CSBG Offices, 11 regional consortia and four national partner organizations.

This report cannot describe the broad and diverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rather, it focuses on how the National Community Action Network, one of the most critical parts of America's community-based human services infrastructure, was ready to respond to such a crisis, how it leveraged a wide range of emergency funding to magnify the impact of those dollars in every community, and how it has served (and continues to serve) as a vital locus for building community resilience.

Community Action, helping people, changing lives, every day.

Report in English
Report in Spanish

The National Community Action Partnership is the hub for the nation's 1,000+ local Community Action Agencies that provide life-changing services to individuals and families in 99% of America's counties. The Partnership's mission is to ensure the causes and conditions of poverty are effectively addressed and to strengthen, promote, represent, and serve the Community Action Network. For more information, visit communityactionpartnership.com.

SOURCE National Community Action Partnership