NASCSP is so excited for this year’s National Community Action Month! Community Action Month provides an annual opportunity to come together virtually and in person to showcase our passion and commitment to eliminating the causes and consequences of poverty for individuals, families, and communities. At our core, NASCSP aims to empower administrators of the CSBG (and WAP) to respond to poverty issues in their state, reduce barriers facing low-income families working towards self-sufficiency, and support thriving communities, through training and technical assistance, quality data collection and analysis, and the creation and distribution of cutting-edge resources.
We can’t wait to see what this year brings! This time last year, we saw an incredible outpouring of activity and energy from the states, local community action agencies, state associations, and national partners. Between the collaborative mini-toolkits from NASCSP, NCAF, and the Community Action Partnership, and the inspiring posts from around the nation, Community Action’s virtual presence was hard to miss. We’re excited to see what it means to you to #beCommunityAction this year! We encourage you to take a look at NASCSP’s Introduction to Social Media, storytelling guides, and our collaborative Social Media 201 Webinar with tips, tricks, and best practices to help you get started, and to look at the Community Action Partnership’s 2016 Toolkit as well!
We’re at a crossroads in our history as a poverty-fighting network. Never before have we faced such a confluence of economic conditions, a polarized political environment, and general misunderstanding in our society about the issue of poverty. And yet, we also have the incredible opportunity to work with our partners at a local, state, national, and federal level to shape our future. We’ve seen the finalization of the State and Federal Accountability Measures, the Organizational Standards, a new online State Plan, and are moving forward with ROMA Next Generation, the final piece of this broader national effort to strengthen the performance management culture of the CSBG Network. ROMA Next Generation is designed to integrate the Organizational Standards and State and Federal Accountability Measures to help achieve the full potential of CSBG, and provide opportunities for continuous assessment and improvement of CSBG services, strategies, and outcomes through the use of data at all levels. At NASCSP, we see ROMA Next Generation as another opportunity to really showcase what it means to #beCommunityAction and impact individuals, families, and low-income communities across the nation!
We know that Community Action is not only a month, but a reflection of a Network committed to building broader, stronger programs and impacting lives across communities as we keep each other focused on our core mission. We work across the nation to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities and to give individuals and families the tools they need to succeed. We can’t wait to see what you share this month as examples of the energy and spirit that drives this Network closer to our shared goals and excellence in attaining them.
For a reminder of all the great work and activity that went on last year, check out Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, the half-way point from the Partnership, and the mini-toolkits from Weeks One, Two, Three, and Four!
