What is Community Action? Community Action was created as part of the War on Poverty by President Johnson and Congress. The enactment of the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act created the community action network, its basic principles, and the family/community/agency model that characterizes community action. In 1970 the Office of Economic Opportunity further defined the catalytic nature of the community action mission and model:
1. Engage low-income individuals/families in attaining the skills, knowledge, motivations, and opportunities to become self-sufficient.
2. Catalyze the community toward revitalization and mobilization of resources for anti-poverty purposes.
3. Work in partnerships and collaboration with others (the POOR themselves, as well as the Public and Private sectors) to achieve results.
4. Be an accountable agency – i.e. demonstrate that our success and effectiveness is measured not only through the services which we directly provide, but by the improvements and changes we achieve in community attitudes and practices toward the poor, including the focusing of resources for anti-poverty purposes.
HOW DOES SNAP ACTUALIZE ITS COMMUNITY ACTION NATURE?
INTERNALLY, SNAP …
1. Establishes clear, measurable individual/family, community, or agency outcomes or impacts for every direct-service program.
2. We plan, manage, operate and evaluate our performances to hold ourselves accountable for these intended results. The analyses of intended and unintended results, coupled with on-going assessment of current needs and resources form the foundation for continued planning for program improvements and new program design.
EXTERNALLY
1. All SNAP programs & services additionally develop strategies and activities that can engage the community for greater participation, revitalization & mobilization of resources for these anti-poverty purposes.
2. We intentionally develop strategic partnerships and collaborations to help us achieve our goals and mission.
(Written by Dan Jordan, retired Director, Community Action)