Recorder Staff
For years, Community Action has helped the area poor get on their feet. But, the future of many of the agency’s programs is up in the air, as President Obama has proposed cuts to some of its federal funding.
Local social service officials and all 11 Democratic members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation are fighting this proposal, saying it will hurt those who need help the most and will hinder, rather than help, the nation’s economic recovery.
“As the Community Action agency for Franklin and Hampshire counties, Community Services Block Grant funding is crucial to our ability to help over 30,000 residents each year, many living with incomes significantly below the poverty level,” said Executive Director Jane Sanders. “This funding was specifically designated over 45 years ago to enable local organizations to respond to local needs.”
“President Obama said in his State of the Union address that he wants to make sure that budget cuts are not made on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. His proposal to cut CSBG funding is just that.”
Sanders said Community Action receives about $626,000 from CSBG and its goes to support many of its programs, including First Call for Help, the Family Center, the Center for Self Reliance food pantries, Youth Programs, tax assistance, financial education, Women, Infants and Children nutrition program, the Family Learning Center GED program, the Mediation & Training Collaborative, and CommonCents asset development (which helps people buy a first home, start a business or go to school).
The state’s 11 congressional Democrats have expressed their deep concern and opposition of the president’s proposed Community Service Block Grant cuts, which will be included in the administration’s budget request for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
They said “that cuts to CSBG funding would sever the indispensable lifelines that are relied upon each day by our country’s most vulnerable.”
According to an official from the Obama administration, the president made the “difficult decision to cut funding for CSBG in half, to $350 million.”
“While many of its grant recipients do good work, the program has had weak oversight and accountability,” said the official. “Grant recipients have been virtually guaranteed funding for the past 30 years. These are the kinds of programs that the president worked with when he was a community organizer, so this cut is not easy for him. With the remaining funds, the administration proposes to use competitive procedures to target funds to the highest-performing organizations.”
“That would mean the state would apply for the funding,” said Sanders. “Race to the Top was given out a few states at a time. So I have no idea if we’d eventually get some of it or lose it altogether.”
Weak oversight and accountability don’t “reflect at all our reality,” Sanders said.
Each year, the agency has to do a detailed plan for its CSGBfunded programs, with clear outcomes and goals. Additionally, they do a report twice a year, tracking its progress. “There is tremendous oversight and we are spending more and more time making sure we are collecting data in order to report on the use of these funds.”
“Many in Congress are fighting this and we hope it gets changed in their budget,” she said. “Having the Massachusetts delegation come together this quickly to stop this shows how valued they know our work is by their constituents. This is true all over the country.”
Community Action’s annual budget is about $26 million, but about half of it is “pass through” money, funding that goes directly to fuel vendors and child care providers.
Nationally, community action programs are private, nonprofit human service and advocacy organizations that were established by Congress and the president at least 30 years ago to fight poverty. Covering 1,065 agencies in 99 percent of U.S. counties, community action programs last year provided supports to 20.7 million Americans facing an array of challenges including extreme poverty, disability and lack of employment, according to a statement from the Democratic congressional delegation.
The CSBG national budget is about $622 million with Massachusetts receiving $17 million that is designated to 24 community action programs. In Massachusetts, community action agencies serve about 250,000 families and 600,000 people, employ about 4,000 and work with about 3,500 volunteers.
“These local efforts in Massachusetts are helping struggling families, kids, and senior citizens keep their heads above water.
I’m ready to make tough budget choices and real cuts, but I don’t think community action programs are the place to slash just as we’re pulling the country out of the economic ditch,” said U.S. Sen. John Kerry.
“I strongly believe that cutting funding in Community Services Block Grants will negatively impact our economic recovery and the lives of those who depend on the services these grants fund. Community Action programs are a lifeline for those hardest hit by the recession,” said U.S. Rep.
John Olver.
“Cutting this lifeline will leave the most vulnerable members of our community without critically needed services.”
Weak oversight and accountability don’t “reflect at all our reality,” Sanders said.
Each year, the agency has to do a detailed plan for its CSGBfunded programs, with clear outcomes and goals. Additionally, they do a report twice a year, tracking its progress. “There is tremendous oversight and we are spending more and more time making sure we are collecting data in order to report on the use of these funds.”
“Many in Congress are fighting this and we hope it gets changed in their budget,” she said. “Having the Massachusetts delegation come together this quickly to stop this shows how valued they know our work is by their constituents. This is true all over the country.”
Community Action’s annual budget is about $26 million, but about half of it is “pass through” money, funding that goes directly to fuel vendors and child care providers.
Nationally, community action programs are private, nonprofit human service and advocacy organizations that were established by Congress and the president at least 30 years ago to fight poverty. Covering 1,065 agencies in 99 percent of U.S. counties, community action programs last year provided supports to 20.7 million Americans facing an array of challenges including extreme poverty, disability and lack of employment, according to a statement from the Democratic congressional delegation.
The CSBG national budget is about $622 million with Massachusetts receiving $17 million that is designated to 24 community action programs. In Massachusetts, community action agencies serve about 250,000 families and 600,000 people, employ about 4,000 and work with about 3,500 volunteers.
“These local efforts in Massachusetts are helping struggling families, kids, and senior citizens keep their heads above water.
I’m ready to make tough budget choices and real cuts, but I don’t think community action programs are the place to slash just as we’re pulling the country out of the economic ditch,” said U.S. Sen. John Kerry.
“I strongly believe that cutting funding in Community Services Block Grants will negatively impact our economic recovery and the lives of those who depend on the services these grants fund. Community Action programs are a lifeline for those hardest hit by the recession,” said U.S. Rep.
John Olver.
“Cutting this lifeline will leave the most vulnerable members of our community without critically needed services.”
(Olver)
(Kerry)
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