January 20, 2011
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Community Action Partnership is deeply saddened by the passing of R. Sargent Shriver. Shriver was a distinguished public servant and a visionary leader – he was the father of Community Action. Mr. Shriver accomplished so much in his life of public service; he was the founding director of the Peace Corps, the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), and the Special Olympics, along with his wife, the late Eunice Shriver. He was the first director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, established under President Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1964, under which he helped to direct the creation of Community Action, Head Start, Job Corps, and the many great programs that grew out of the War on Poverty. |
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Shriver
will always be known to the members of the Community Action family
as the father of our great movement. He changed many millions
of lives over several decades; as director of the Peace Corps,
beginning in 1961, under President John Kennedy, and as the first
director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, created in 1964.
Community Action, Head Start, Job Corps, Legal Services, and the
other tremendous programs that were born out of President Lyndon
Johnson’s War on Poverty, will be forever linked to the
name of Sargent Shriver. |
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"SPOTLIGHT ON POVERTY"
Our great friends and colleagues at Spotlight on Poverty have compiled a list of new resources from the US Census Bureau. Click here to sign up for Spotlight’s updates.
New Resources from the Census Bureau on Alternative Poverty Measures
The Census Bureau released two new resources this week:
• A new research paper on the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM): Who is Poor? A New Look With The Supplemental Poverty Measure, presents poverty estimates using a methodology provided by the interagency working group on the supplemental poverty measure.
• Alternative income and poverty estimates for 2009: the estimates factor in various income supports such as subsidized housing or free school lunches, and a range of poverty thresholds. The alternative estimates include breakdowns by age, sex and race.The SPM is based on recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences and is expected to be released in the fall of 2011 alongside the current official poverty measure. Make sure to visit Povertymeasure.org, a special project of Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, which provides a comprehensive look at alternatives to the current poverty measure.
EITC has earned bi-partisan support at all levels of government
Help promote the EITC in your community & show how it helps
low-income workers & families—
Support EITC Awareness Day
Friday, January 28th
EITC Day was created by the Internal Revenue Service to promote awareness of this refundable credit that annually puts more than $43 billion in the hands of more than 22 million low wage workers—and ensure that eligible individuals claim it this tax season. This is especially critical now as many working individuals and families continue to experience economic hardship amid an increased poverty rate, high unemployment levels, foreclosures, and food insecurity.
EITC Central website
What can you do to promote EITC Day in your community? Issue a news release, hold an event at your CAA, circulate information through your Facebook and Twitter pages websites, blogs, and newsletters. The IRS has posted sample resources and materials (including a news release, letter to the editor, and tweets) on the EITC Central website. You can also follow @IRSEITCDay on Twitter for updates.
Tax Credit Outreach Kits from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
An excellent resource from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is the Tax Credit Community Outreach Campaign Kit. The kit provide new materials on the EITC and Child Tax Credit (CTC), including an English and Spanish poster and flyer, a fact sheet booklet that includes information on the new credits, and a booklet featuring new looks at strategies for promoting these credits, including fresh examples of activities that have been used effectively in campaigns across the country. To request a copy of the kit, send an email to eickit@cbpp.org. Also check out CBPP’s EITC website.
Other EITC Websites: Here are a few additional websites offering EITC information, resources, and reports
• Brookings Institution
• Annie E. Casey Foundation
• National Women’s Law Center
• National Community Tax Coalition
The National Fuel Funds Network has exemplary board leadership with chairperson Tom Stovall, executive director of Operation: New View Community Action Agency in Dubuque, Iowa and vice chairperson Marsha Belcher from Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA, in Illinois). Since 1993, LIHEAP Action Day has been a significant public education and information gathering, involving briefings with community leaders, energy company officials, state and local government leaders and many others
The National Fuel Funds Network is awash in reports that portend an ominous 2011 for people needing energy assistance.• Community Action agencies in Indiana are halting applications today, due to lack of funds. Former NFFN Chairman Greg Sawyers of Citizens Gas in Indianapolis notes that, if the present LIHEAP funding levels prevail, about 11,000 Citizens Gas customers instead of last year’s 24,000 will be served. “Thirteen thousand families will be out in the cold” said Sawyers.
•The Lane County Oregon Human Services Commission has already closed its LIHEAP waiting list
• Keep Wisconsin Warm Fund sees “record breaking numbers of families that come to us.”These reports no doubt resonate with yours, across the country. And they illustrate the critical need to take action to restore LIHEAP funding to at $5.1 billion.
The National Fuel Funds Network is now calling you to take action by participating in NFFN’s LIHEAP Action Day, February 9, 2011 in Washington. Registration for NFFN’s LIHEAP Action Day is now open. Please join delegates from across the country in the Nation’s Capital to kick-off advocacy for at least $5.1 billion for LIHEAP in Fiscal Year 2011.
If you have not registered, please help NFFN plan for the event and register now.
The crisis in energy assistance, persistent poverty and continued high unemployment combine to make a strong case for additional LIHEAP funding. But with a very large turnover in Congress and increasing pressure to cut discretional federal program funding, we will be hard pressed to make the case for LIHEAP at $5.1 billion. That’s why we need your participation on LIHEAP Action Day in February more than ever.
Since 2003, NFFN’s LIHEAP Action Day has been integral to convincing Congress to increase LIHEAP funding to the peak of $5.1 billion in FY 2010. We’ll start in again in February, and this year, the Network and allies will also hold a Summer LIHEAP Action Day in late July.
NFFN’s LIHEAP Action Day, will begin with a breakfast briefing at 8:15 am and end with a reception 4:30 on Wednesday, February 9, 2011. The American Gas Association will provide their Capitol Hill office as central gathering place. NFFN will distribute talking points and background information, expert advice and training in lobbying for LIHEAP for a diverse group of participants.
Expected are representatives from fuel funds and other nonprofit organizations, consumer advocacy programs, utility and fuel oil companies and associations, and local, state and Tribal governments. Action Day advocates will fan out over Capitol Hill with a uniform message for legislators – provide needed LIHEAP funding.
NFFN will also have a briefing and reception for early arrivals on Tuesday, February 8 at 4:30, PM, at the offices of Entergy, 101 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC .
There is a modest $20 charge for registration, with on-line, secure payment through the above registration form. Registrants will be updated on the legislative situation and other developments between now and LIHEAP Action Day.
NFFN will provide bus transportation from the hotel to Capitol Hill on the morning of February 9.
CHILDREN IN FED BUDGET
Thanks to Melissa Boteach, Half in Ten campaign Manager, and our other colleagues at First Focus, the Partnership has joined with dozens of national, state, and community groups in signing the letter below. The Partnership is grateful to Congressman Pete Stark for his leadership in writing and sending this letter which seeks to prevent federal budgetary decisions that would increase child poverty in America.
January 7, 2011
The Honorable Barack Obama
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500The Honorable Jacob Lew
Director
The Office of Management and Budget
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20503The Honorable Paul Ryan
Chairman
House of Representatives Budget Committee
207 Cannon House Office
Washington, DC 20515The Honorable Chris Van Hollen
Ranking Member
House of Representatives Budget Committee
Building 207 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Mr. President, Director Lew, Chairman Ryan, and Ranking Member Van Hollen:
According to the new Republican majority, the 112th Congress will be focused on cutting the deficit. We know that difficult decisions will have to be made. The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform indicated broad agreement that serious steps must be taken, but lacked consensus on what those steps should be.
Although there are many opinions about how best to balance the budget, we believe that there is one crucial concept about which all Americans can agree: no matter what steps we take to get our nation’s finances in order, our children must be protected from the dangers of poverty. As we seek solutions to our long-term fiscal problems, we must protect programs that lift children out of poverty and redouble our efforts to invest in children. We cannot afford to make any decisions that push more children into poverty.
Growing up in poverty is one of the most damaging circumstances a child can face. Poor children are sicker, do worse in school, enter the foster care system at a higher rate, and have more behavioral and emotional problems. They are also much more likely to live in poverty as adults, become incarcerated, or depend on public assistance.
As a result of the current recession, we have seen an unprecedented decline in child well-being. One in five kids now lives in a food insecure household, a disturbing statistic that jumped from 16% to 21% in the past year. Public schools have seen a 50% increase in the number of homeless students. Children are more likely to be abused or neglected during difficult economic times. These adverse childhood events translate into a long-term human capital deficit in the United States, robbing our country of these children’s potential. Child poverty is also expensive, costing the United States an estimated $500 billion due to lost productivity and increased expenditures in health care and criminal justice.
One in five American children now live in poverty. This should be unacceptable in a country as prosperous as ours. Great Britain has faced similar challenges, but in 1999 they declared a war on child poverty. Ten years later, they have cut their child poverty rate in half by increasing supports for poor families and investing in children. Their progress has continued in spite of the recession and a change in the governing party. Britain’s new conservative-led government has pledged to ensure that deficit reduction measures do not result in any increase in child poverty. In fact, they raised spending on tax credits for low-income families to ensure this pledge is met. We should make a similar commitment to children.
We ask you to pass and implement a budget that protects children and focuses on cutting child poverty.
Sincerely,Pete Stark
Member of Congress
"We Support The Affordable Care Act" Press ConferenceThanks to our incredibly hard-working colleagues at Families USA—Ron Pollack and Jen Beeson—the Partnership participated in a press conference, “We Support The Affordable Care Act” at the new US Capitol Visitors Center. Featured speakers included: former House member Barbara Kennelly of the Leadership Council on Aging Organizations; Marla Weston of the American Nurses Association; Lisa Swirsky of Consumers Union; Mike Rodgers from the Catholic Health Association; and a number of compassionate speakers with pre-existing conditions, physical disabilities, and uninsured people with significant health needs and issues.
The Partnership joined with more than 150 national organizations in support of this event, including AFL-CIO, American Heart Association, American Public Health Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Center for Community Change, Center for American Progress, Child Welfare League of America, Coalition on Human Needs, Health Care for America Now, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Association of Social Workers, National Council of La Raza, National Council of Jewish Women, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Sargent Shriver National enter on Poverty Law, SEIU, and Voices for America’s Children.
Later that evening, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable health care Act 245-189. The bill now goes to the Senate where no vote on it is scheduled.
We are very pleased to announce that Thomas (Tom) Tenorio, CCAP, Executive Director of the CAA of Butte County, California, is the new Treasurer of Community Action Partnership. Mr. Tenorio replaced Deborah Blanks, CCAP, who regretfully submitted her letter of resignation from the Partnership Board of Directors to John Edwards, CCAP, Board Chair on December 29, 2010. In her letter, Ms. Blanks indicated that this was an extremely critical time for her agency, Social Development Commission in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with several key initiatives that she needed to turn her full attention to for the foreseeable future. The Partnership board and staff are grateful to Deborah for her leadership and work on many key initiatives, especially with the Emerging Leaders Task Force
Mr. Tenorio served as Region IX representative on the Partnership Board of Directors. Pursuant to the Partnership By-Laws concerning a vacancy: Any vacancy on the Board with respect to an Officer, which occurs for any reason whatsoever, shall be filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired term of such Officer, the board elected Mr. Tenorio to fill the unexpired term, which ends in August, 2012. This leaves the Region IX Representative vacant until the Region elects a new representative to the Partnership board.
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Cashin Riddell recently relocated to Washington, DC from Atlanta, Georgia, and will be working with the new National Risk Mitigation and Quality Improvement T/TA Center at the Partnership. She will assist with Center-related research, resource development, and data and outcome tracking. Cashin earned her BA in in International Affairs from the University of Georgia, and has worked with the Georgia Meth Project as well as the Million Mile Greenway Project. |
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Kelly Williams has an accounting degree from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. She will be working part time for the Partnership with Linda Goff, Director of Fiscal Management. Kelly performs accounting for several other non-profits and has experience in grant accounting; she enjoys the non-profit environment. |
Kelly
Williams
NEEDED:
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator
This position is part of a team providing services to State Administrators of the CSBG. This position will serve a critical role in coordinating support, and training and technical assistance to State CSBG Administrators which includes providing high level customized services to States to effectively address eligible entity performance issues. Additional responsibilities will include coordinating activities for the NASCSP State Performance Management Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) and NASCSP activities related to the Community Action Partnership’s National Risk Mitigation and Quality Improvement Training and Technical Assistance Center (Center).
Be a part of the future of Community Action!
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Your energy and involvement have helped to keep Community Action Partnership responsive to your needs and built the strongest community action network ever. Membership gives you more than ever before ... access to training, publications, educational resources, and management tools which help you run a CAA more productively.
Take an active part in your network. Complete your application and become a member of Community Action Partnership today. Click here for the Membership form!
