March 2022
SEACAA welcomes new board members
Charlene Engle
Mike Smith
James G. Williams
The Southeastern Association of Community Action Agencies (SEACAA) is happy to announce the appointment of three new board members. READ MORE
Speak Up SEACAA!
Regional stories that inform, empower, and inspire
William Holt awarded William Holt Trailblazer Award
Congratulations to William Holt who is the first recipient of the William Holt Trailblazer Award given by The Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc. (ALPI) board of directors, CEO, staff, community leaders, and partners. The William Holt Trailblazer Award is a board corporate award established to recognize board members who have contributed to changing lives through their outstanding involvement and dedication to further the mission of the Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc. READ MORE
Knox County (TN) CAC develops innovative programming for increased food access
The Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC), located in Tennessee, operates a four-acre Urban Agriculture Farm located in the heart of downtown. Beardsley Community Farm (BCF) grows produce, keeps bees, tends chickens, and has 30 community-based gardens throughout Knox County. READ MORE
MACAA launches new logo
The Mississippi Association of Community Action Agencies (MACAA) has a new logo. As an association of the National Community Action Partnership (NCAP), the new logo maintains a connection to the national brand. The colors and inclusion of the Huggy Heart, adopted by NCAP in 2002, increases visibility and connects MACAA with network agencies and associations. The New logo also includes a silhouette of the State of Mississippi along with the tagline, “Helping People. Changing Lives.”
Region IV Initiatives
KY Community Action Council develops Employment and Child Care Opportunities Plus (ECCO+) program
The KY community action council is utilizing allowable funding from both Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and Head Start (HS) to develop a new 14-week training and job placement program. This program includes coursework, behind-the-wheel training, and job placement/employment support to facilitate eligible participants to receive a nationally recognized Commercial Driver’s License-with Passenger B certification. READ MORE
WAMY Community Action, Inc. utilizes the Healthy Homes Initiative to provide needed home improvements
WAMY has effectively administered and leveraged program funding to have a transformative impact on the local community. The Healthy Homes Initiative is a statewide program addressing social determinants of health. This initiative is administered through the NCCAA to local community action agencies across NC. READ MORE
KRFDC organizes the Madison Opioid Response and Engagement (MORE) project
The Madison Opioid Response and Engagement (MORE) project works to achieve the goal of RCORP-implementation by reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD) in Madison County, Kentucky. The target population is individuals who are at risk for, have been diagnosed with, and/or are in treatment and/or recovery for OUD; their families and caregivers, and other community members who reside in Madison County. READ MORE
MAC launches 2 Generation/Whole Family initiative
Metropolitan Action Commission (MAC) in Nashville, TN, partners with families to achieve their goals of getting out of poverty through a 2Generation/Whole Family Approach Initiative. MAC’s initiative provides short-term and high-yield job training aimed to help Head Start/Early Head Start parents move toward attaining living-wage jobs. This type of opportunity creates a pathway out of poverty for many families.  READ MORE
KCEOC operates Ryan's Place for youth, ages 18-24
Ryan's Place is a Crisis Center for youth ages 18-24 who are experiencing homelessness, operated by KCEOC Community Action Partnership. Ryan’s Place is named in memory of Ryan White, a former client at the KCEOC Emergency Support Center who tragically passed away at age 18.  READ MORE
BJEOC provides clients with housing rehabilitation services
The Beaufort Jasper Economic Opportunity Commission, Inc. (BJEOC) has launched the housing rehabilitation initiative. This venture targets housing projects, which preserve single-family, owner-occupied housing and encourage neighborhood revitalization. READ MORE
Kentucky CAA offices and staff in need of tornado relief
Kentucky community action offices and staff are still reeling under the impact of the December tornados. CAA offices have been damaged and in the case of Western Kentucky Allied Services in Mayfield, KY, its headquarters have been destroyed. CAA staff members and families have lost homes or have had their homes severely damaged. Consider donating HERE to help rebuild these communities.
Have a story to match these? Please share with the network. seacaa.org@gmail.com
Other News You Can Use
CDC finds respirator masks more effective than cloth masks
A real-world study from the CDC found that N95 and KN95 masks reduce the odds of testing positive for Covid-19 by 83% compared to not wearing a mask at all. The infection odds reduction is 66% for surgical masks and 56% for cloth masks. READ MORE
Self-Help Credit Union job opportunities in NC, SC, and FL
Self-Help Credit Union, a leading non-profit financial institution headquartered in Durham, NC is offering community development job opportunities in North and South Carolina and Florida. The national community development organization has more than 188,000 members and has delivered $11 billion in financing to help more than 198,000 people buy homes, start and build businesses, and strengthen community resources, across the United States.
Earned Income Tax Credit: married taxpayers 64+ years old with no qualifying children may qualify
The Earned Income Tax Credit has no maximum age limit for 2021 tax returns, even for working taxpayers with no eligible children. Workers over 64 years old do not need qualifying children to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or in their 2021 returns. LEARN MORE
Bomb threats are the latest indignity for HBCUs
Threats of violence against HBCUs are the latest indignity endured by the nation’s Black land-grant universities, which have been underfunded by at least $12.8 billion over the last three decades, compared to their predominantly white counterparts. READ MORE
Professional Certification Opportunities
Advance Your CAP work with a Springfield College Degree

Community Action Agency employees enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at Springfield College are eligible to receive a $5,000 or $10,000 partner grant. This grant has been established by Springfield College to support CAP member agencies being educated for leadership in service to others. Please join this webinar on March 8, 2022, to learn more about our flexible degree programs and the partnership grant. REGISTER HERE
Blogs and Other Thoughts
To End Hunger, We Must End Stigma
Widespread exposure to hardship during the COVID-19 crisis also has made a dent in the negative judgments between who is “deserving” and “undeserving” of government aid. Our nation needs to build on this renewed support for public assistance that any of us might need to access. We must redouble our efforts to erase the stigmatization of the federal nutrition programs, and instead promote their role in enhancing food security, well-being, health, and dignity.READ MORE
An epidemic is brewing in the U.S. as mental health needs soar
Anxious. Overwhelmed. Stressed out. These words have framed the experiences of many Americans over the last two years as pandemic living grinds into the third year. Across the country, a new type of healthcare crisis is unfolding: a mental health and wellness firestorm and the nation’s therapist providers are finding themselves on the front lines of a different kind of epidemic. READ MORE
Membership
Members are the lifeblood of associations. They help fulfill your organization’s mission and propel your organization forward.

SEACAA is still your #1 go-to resource for CA practitioners and professions in the southeast, especially during times of crisis and in this era of uncertainty. Support the Association with your regional agency dues if you have not done so. RENEW HERE
Mark Your Calendar
May 10-13, 2022
NCCAA 2022 Annual Conference
Harrahs Cherokee Casino Resort, Cherokee, NC

August 31- September 2, 2022
NCAP 2022 Annual Conference
Marriott Marquis Hotel, New York, NY

October 18-21, 2022
SEACAA 2022 Annual Conference
Beau Rivage Hotel, Biloxi, MS
We'd Love to Hear from You
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