In the August 4th on-line newsletter from Community Action Partnership (Partnership E-News),there was an interesting article about Steven Manela, Human Services Division Manager at Lane County (OR) Health and Human Services—a municipal Community Action Agency—who participated in a recent White House Community Leaders Forum at the White House. Steve credits reading about this opportunity in an edition of Partnership e news. During the White House briefings, Steve had the opportunity to explain to the Administration staff that food stamp/SNAP participation in Lane County, OR had doubled in the past year and that unemployment in addition to homelessness were growing.
In response to Steve’s remarks, a White House official commented that Community Action had to use the same strategy that Planned Parenthood did when it was attacked, namely demonstrate to the White House (as White House staff are not allowed to recommend lobbying Congress) the extent of Community Action support via letters, e-mails, personal contact, and support by community leaders and supporters.
We at CAPWorks could not agree more! The intent of this website is to provide the tools for Community Action staff, board members, customers, and supporters to contact the White House as well as their local U.S. Senator and Representative. In addition, we hope that you will feel free to utilize all the information listed and will also share your own community’s support letters, videos, newspaper articles, media stories, etc. for others across the country to model (and hopefully recruit a friend!).
Save Community Action!!
