I’m delighted to have the opportunity to wrap up and reflect on this year’s National Community Action Month! There has been such 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 Partnership and the inspiring posts from around the nation, Community Action’s virtual presence was hard to miss. We had to break our summaries down by week so people catching up on the conversation weren’t overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information and discussion from their peers. We started out strong, with an ever-increasing social media buzz and hundreds of examples of Community Action at work. Plus, our activities weren’t just online! Nationwide, governors issued proclamations, and some of you hosted poverty simulations, Community Action Awareness Days, Wellness Field Days, Resource Fairs, Charity Golf events, Volunteer Luncheons, and some of you even themed annual conferences to build on this month.

Indicative of the energy and drive of this Network, not only did we sustain this momentum for the month, we ramped it up each week. The passion and commitment to eliminating the causes and consequences of poverty for individuals, families, and communities that the CSBG Network demonstrated over this last month is truly a showcase of what it means to #beCommunityAction.

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, and continue moving forward on a new Model State Plan and ROMA Next Generation. We look forward to partnering with each of you to continue designing effective strategies and inspire action toward a more effective and results-driven service delivery system.

We know that Community Action is not only a month, but a Network committed to building broader, stronger systems across communities as we keep each other focused on our core mission. Thank you for such a powerful example of the energy and spirit that drives this Network closer to our shared goals and excellence in attaining them.

Sincerely,

Bill Brand
Board President, NASCSP

For a wrap up of the social media buzz, 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!