Community action agencies were created in the 1960s to work as a unified front to alleviate the underlying issues of poverty in the United States. Today, community action agencies continue to fulfill this mission, providing a diverse set of programs that help communities identify and eliminate the causes of poverty and assisting low income individuals and families to reach their highest levels of economic and social self-sufficiency.

Community action agencies are nonprofit private and public organizations established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to fight America's War on Poverty.

The West Virginia Community Action Partnership is a network made up of 16 community action agencies covering all 55 counties. Raleigh County Community Action Association Inc. (RCCAA) is a part of this network and serves Raleigh County residents through a variety of programs. RCCAA’s major programs include Head Start, transportation, homeless services, housing assistance, and a garage training program. RCCAA employs over 150 individuals at its various locations throughout Raleigh County and pours over $5 million annually back into the local economy.

In 2009, RCCAA programs and services aided 4,187 individuals in developing a stronger sense of self-sufficiency. RCCAA impacted the lives of low income community members in various ways including:

n Operating a public transportation program throughout Raleigh County which provided for over 58,000 individual boardings, allowing elderly, disabled, and low income individuals to retain their independence

n Providing Head Start services to over 400 families, including pre-school services, health and mental health services, nutrition services, and family services

n Providing emergency shelter, nutrition services and case management services to over 760 homeless men, women and children

n Providing 281 individuals with free tax assistance, resulting in $105,185 being returned to low income taxpayers in the form of Earned Income Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits.

In today’s tough economic times, community action agencies have capitalized on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to create and retain 7,944 jobs nationwide.

The services that community action agencies provide reach large numbers of community members across the country. Community action agencies are a primary source of direct support for the more than 34.5 million people who live in poverty in the United States. The majority of community action agency program participants are extremely poor, with incomes below 75 percent of the federal poverty threshold, or $9,735 for a family of three. The community action network serves more than 16.2 million individuals per year and 3 million families per year.

If you would like more information on community action agency services provided in your area, go to www.communityactionpartnership.com or contact Raleigh County Community Action at 304-252-6396 or www.rccaa.org.