Moving forward in uncertain times

2020 Annual Report

The Connecticut Association for Community Action, Inc. (CAFCA) is the state association for Connecticut’s nine Community Action

Agencies (CAAs), the state and federal designated anti-poverty agencies empowering people throughout Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

Our mission is to strengthen the capacity of our members to empower people in need and improve the communities in which they live.

NOI Early Care and Education student

A Message from CAFCA

CAFCA Board of DirectorsDeborah Monahan, Chair Amos Smith, 1st Vice ChairMichelle James, 2nd Vice Chair

Peter DeBiasi, Secretary David Morgan, Treasurer Dr. Monette Ferguson

Dr. James H. Gatling Marlo Greponne Lena Rodriguez

While 2020 started out as any other year might, everything changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Connecticut’s nine Community Action Agencies (CAAs) quickly adjusted the provision of service delivery for their customers statewide. Their innovative and nimble approach reassured people during shutdowns by providing more services via phone and email; transitioning from the congregate meals program to all home-delivered meals for seniors, which allowed them to stay home and receive nutritious food; and, offering childcare to the children of local hospital first responders. These are just a few examples of how CAAs provided outreach and community services through creative means during the pandemic.

As we move into this year, CAAs continue to respond to the adverse effects of COVID-19. Six are acting as Community Resource Coordinators, helping people to stay safe and compliant during mandated quarantine and isolation periods by ensuring they have access to and receive services they need to stay healthy. This work builds on CAA staff trained as Community Health Workers, who focus on addressing social determinants of health. All of these efforts speak to critical, long-term disaster case management services – a need our CAAs are addressing and know will continue well into 2021.

Last year, nearly 200,000 Connecticut residents received assistance from their local CAA. Whether it was help with immediate needs like food, heat, and childcare, or with longer-term needs and goals such as job training, safe and affordable housing, and asset development, CAAs continually assessed community needs and adapted their programs and services to meet them.

CAFCA supports CAAs through training and technical assistance, grant administration, partnership building, and advocacy. In 2020, we secured funding to: help CAAs purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), keeping employees, volunteers, and customers safe; promote outreach for a very successful decennial Census; and provide CAA staff training to enhance understanding of racial equity issues.

During this most unusual time, we are so proud of the work Community Action Agencies are doing. With your partnership and support, we will continue to help all people in Connecticut reach their full potential and contribute to the well-being of their communities. Thank you – here’s to a better and brighter 2021!

Deb Monahan, Board Chair Deb Polun, Executive Director

The Promise of Community Action

Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live.

We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.

TVCCA meal prep staff

CAFCA Team

Deb Polun Rhonda Evans Kelley Hall Executive Director Deputy Director Development, Communications & Grants Manager Katrina Bresnahan Raven Parker SSBG Case Management Project Director Outreach & Quality Assurance Specialist

2020 Annual Report designed by Susanne Kenney

CRT YouthBuild participants

Highlights

199,463 individuals served

299,872 volunteer hours donated67% of those hours were from individuals with low incomes

2,339 partnerships to keep the Promise of Community Action

96,569 families served

Meals on Wheels participant

Meet Crystal

Crystal was terminated after getting hurt on the job. Soon after, her teenage daughter was diagnosed with Stage 2 Burkitt’s lymphoma. Over the next year, they were in and out of the hospital. Crystal felt like she couldn't help her daughter or herself and was struggling to pay bills. A friend reminded her about the Community Action Agency of New Haven (CAANH) where she proceeded to receive energy assistance, complete an application for food assistance, and enroll in CAANH’s The S.M.A.R.T. (Single Mothers Actively Reaching the Top) Women program. Today, after completing the program, Crystal works at CAANH and her daughter is doing much better.

“I am eternally grateful for all the resources and help that CAANH

provided for me and my family. I am very enthusiastic about my

new journey.”

Meet Toni

"TEAM has been there for me and my family before and throughout this pandemic. They gave me hope and peace of mind that our family will get through this tough season. TEAM also provided emotional support and friendship along with tangible needs like diapers from the Diaper Bank, toys for the holidays, and items for my baby on the way. I am so thankful and blessed to have this resource in my life."

Meet PatriciaAlthough Patricia struggled with compromised respiratory function, she was able to live her everyday life until COVID-19 hit and everything changed. Living by herself, a very social Patricia was feeling isolated. She lives on a fixed income and as her budget and food supply ran short, she cautiously drove to the local food pantry only to learn their shelves were bare. They offered her money but Patricia declined. “What I really need is food. There is no way I can go to a grocery store in the middle of this pandemic.” She was directed the Thames Valley Council for Community Action's (TVCCA) Meals on Wheels program and decided to enroll.

Patricia says she appreciates not just the food, but the one-on-one personal delivery interactions. “It’s so reassuring to see my Meals on Wheels driver every day. He may think he’s just doing his job, but it really means so much to me knowing that someone is there and that they care.”

Energy Assistance & Housing

Education & Employment

• 1,650+ individuals participated in mental health and/or substance use counseling.

• 452 parents/guardians strengthened their families through life skills coaching, family mentoring sessions and/or parenting classes.

• 75,260 households avoided crisis with energy assistance.

• 1,120 individuals experiencing homelessness obtained safe, temporary shelter.

• 1,543 people obtained or maintained housing with payment assistance.

• 4,933 children enrolled in early childhood services.

• 934 individuals advanced their education or increased their vocational skills.

• 2,002 unemployed people went to work.

Health & Counseling

Customer Outcomes

Alliance for Community Empowerment (formerly ABCD) food distribution

10,144 people filed their income taxes with Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) services.

• 7,770 people received emergency or supplemental food.

• 27,007 people received nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support, healthy food, and formula and/or diapers through Women, Infants & Children (WIC) services.

• 1,650 individuals received SNAP (formerly food stamps) application assistance.

Nutrition & Food Assistance

• 6,600+ people maintained independent living through support services, including home health and homemaker services.

• 14,450 older adults participated in home delivered or congregate meal programs.

• 1,413 people volunteered through the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

• 189 people engaged in supportive services to build self-sufficiency and independent living skills.

• 1,446 youth participated in before and after school activities.

• 425 youth obtained employment to gain skills or income.

Older Adults Youth & YoungAdults

CAAWC Positive Discipline Training for Parents participantsAlliance for Community Empowerment (formerly ABCD) food distribution

Meet Sam

Young, homeless, and living in his truck after leaving a physically abusive situation, the Access Community Action Agency (Access) staff got right to work helping Sam find a place to live and a job. As a volunteer firefighter, he dreamed of becoming a professional firefighter but believed he couldn’t because of his non-traditional learning style. Access helped Sam enroll in an EMT and Firefighter Certification Program with a training approach that worked for him. All of his expenses, including tuition and board, were paid for. Sam now has a safe place to sleep, is enrolled in school, and will soon be qualified to start a career as a paid firefighter.

Meet Harold

Recently released from prison and living at a halfway house, Harold was looking to begin his journey back to a normal life. His first priority was to get a job. While he found a part-time position, Harold knew he wanted a career, secure housing, and a vehicle to build his self-sufficiency. He worked with New Opportunities, Inc. (NOI) to become “job ready” and more marketable to employers. As a former Substance Abuse Counselor, Harold knew he wanted to help people. NOI connected him to the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) where he received a scholarship and enrolled in the Academy for Human Service Training at Marrakech, Inc. With an eye on the future, he continued working with NOI to save money and prepare for his transition out of the halfway house.

Harold’s diligent work led him to success! He has an apartment, ongoing behavioral and mental health support to assist him in adjusting to life outside of incarceration, and a job in the social service field where he can help others.

The Community Action ApproachUsing a holistic approach, Community Action Agencies address the

immediate, short-term, and long-term needs of low- and moderate-income individuals and families to help them achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency.

The Community Action ApproachUsing a holistic approach, Community Action Agencies address the

immediate, short-term, and long-term needs of low- and moderate-income individuals and families to help them achieve and maintain economic self-sufficiency.

CAFCA 2020 ActivitiesBelow are highlights of CAFCA’s work to assist our Community Action Agency Network to empower people in need and improve the communities in which they live.

Strengthening Member Agencies with Training and Technical Assistance

CAFCA works with the Department of Social Services (DSS) to offer Training and Technical Assistance to our member Community Action Agencies to support, enhance, and strengthen their organizational capacity. This year’s session topics included human resources, community needs assessments, 2-1-1 and emergency response, data analysis on the causes and conditions of poverty, racial equity, and Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA). ROMA is a management and accountability framework that focuses on the results achieved through Community Action Agency services and interventions.

New England Community Action Partnership

CAFCA provided staff support and board leadership for the New England Community Action Partnership (NECAP), which serves the collective interests of its member CAAs and New England’s low income population through representation and education. NECAP's January 2020 presidential forum, Opportunity & the American Dream, focused on the national leadership needed to enable everyone to reach their full potential and contribute to the well-being of their communities. The 2020 NECAP Fall Virtual Symposium, held in December, discussed Community Action's role in the social justice movement, health disparities and crisis planning. It featured keynote speaker Dr. Khalilah Brown-Dean, award-winning scholar, author, and visionary community leader.

Working with State and National Partners

CAFCA attended the virtual National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) legislative conference and held virtual meetings with Connecticut’s Congressional delegation to advocate for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), Head Start, Weatherization, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Community Action leaders stressed the positive and significant impact these services have on their customers and communities, and the importance of supporting these critical funding streams. CAFCA holds similar meetings throughout the year with state legislators as well. Connecticut's state policymakers and Congressional delegation continue to strongly support the CAA Network and be leaders for Community Action. CAFCA also attended the Community Action Partnership’s Management Leadership and Training Conference and Virtual Annual Convention, providing staff with opportunities to connect with Community Action colleagues nationwide.

Census Outreach

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) contracted with CAFCA to support Census 2020 outreach activities through the state’s Community Action Agencies. Although the pandemic greatly reduced in person outreach efforts, CAAs found innovative ways to promote and encourage residents to complete the Census including outreach at grocery stores, Grab & Go lunch distributions, neighborhood block parties, ice cream socials, and COVID testing sites, totaling 4.7 million engagements. Connecticut’s overall response rate of 99.9% was higher than the national average, and the self-response rate of 70.8% was also higher than the 2010 self-response rate.

Community Services Block Grant

DSS administers the federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). DSS provides CSBG funding to CAAs to support their work, and to CAFCA to support and assist the CAAs. CAFCA’s funding allows for training and technical assistance and the sharing of best practices to strengthen CAA staff and agency capacity.

Graustein Memorial Fund - Racial Equity Training

CAFCA received funding from the William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund to provide racial equity training to CAA staff and leaders. The purpose and goal of the training was to help participants understand structural racism and build skills to promote racial equity, both within their organizations and in the communities they serve. CAFCA plans to continue this critical work to build organizational capacity in and among CAAs, and foster a broader conversation that results in building sustainable pathways to economic opportunity for all.

Regional Performance and Innovation Consortia

As the Regional Performance and Innovation Consortia (RPIC) lead grantee for New England, CAFCA works in close partnership with the State Associations and state CSBG offices in all six states. Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Community Services (OCS), RPIC supports activities around capacity building, strengthening exemplary practices, and assisting CAAs across the region to: maximize and align training and technical assistance resources, meet and implement Organizational Standards, and encourage and operationalize a ROMA culture. The 2019-2022 RPIC grant supports multi-year community transformation initiatives that move individuals, families, and communities towards increasing human capacity and sustaining self-sufficiency.

CAFCA Grants & Programs

NOI SSBG CM Outreach

SNAP Outreach

CAFCA administers Connecticut’s SNAP Outreach program through a contract with DSS. All CAAs conduct SNAP outreach activities and provide application assistance to individuals and households, including older adults and the working poor, who are potentially eligible for SNAP benefits but are not receiving them.

Social Services Block Grant Case Management (SSBG CM)

CAFCA administers statewide Social Services Block Grant Case Management (SSBG CM) services at all CAAs through a contract with DSS. SSBG CM helps vulnerable or at risk people improve their lives by providing intervention, referral, and emergency services to those who qualify. It helps customers set and reach goals toward self sufficiency, and SSBG CM staff assist them with services including housing, application assistance, life-skills training, job readiness training, and education and employment assistance.

Responding to essential needs during the pandemic

CAAs assisted with health needs for

our communities and coordinated

resources for people in quarantine.

Diapers were distributed so that people didn't have to choose between diapers and food.

Thanks to community partners and CHEFA,

CAA building needs like plexiglass in workspaces

and PPE needs like masks and gloves were met to

provide services and keep customers and staff safe.

To create safer living conditions, CAAs reduced

capacity at shelters and moved residents and staff

to local hotels.

Young learners and employment needs didn't stop because of the health crisis, and neither did CAA Early Care and

Education Centers.

Pop up food distribution centers were available across the state, helping to ensure everyone would

have food on their table.

Our CustomersEducation Level Individuals age 25+Age

32%

24%

26%

18%

>151% of FPL

101-150% of FPL

51-100% of FPL

<50% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL)

Income Levels*

*In 2020, 100% of the FPL was $12,760 for a single person, $17,240 for a family of two, and $21,720 for a family of three.

Sources of Income

10%

11%

58%

16%

5%

2 or 4 yr College or other postsecondary school graduate

Some Post Secondary

HS Graduate/GED/Equivalencydiploma

9-12/Non-Graduates

0-8th Grade

Family Composition Race Ethnicity

16%

11%

42%

23%

8%

65+ and older

55-64 years old

18-54 years old

6-17 years old

0-5 years old

8%

9%

68%

15%

No income

Non-cash benefits only

Employment + all other sources

Employment only

Two Adults with no Children 11%

Two Parent Household 12%

Single Parent Male Head of

Household 2%

Single Parent Female Head of Household 29%

Single Person Household 46%

Other 27%

More than one race 6%

Black/African American 22%

White/Caucasian45%

Hispanic/Latino36%

Not Hispanic/Latino64%

Financials for year ending 12.31.19CAFCA’s 990 can be found online at www.cafca.org

Support & Revenue Grants & Contracts - Federal $ 3,621,630 Program & other income $ 62,058Total: $ 3,683,688

Expenses Salaries & Benefits $ 486,176 Sub-recipients $ 2,600,034 Professional fees & Contractual services $ 349,067 Materials & Supplies $ 24,909 Other $ 29,857 Conferences & Meetings $ 14,849 Occupancy $ 23,905 SSBG Housing Fund $ 134,963 Travel & Transportation $ 10,419 Training & Education $ 2,386Total: $ 3,676,565

Change in net assets from operating activities $7,123

Leveraging resources to end povertyConnecticut CAA Funding Sources The core operational funding for CAAs is the federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). With that funding ($8,471,911 in FY 2019), CAAs are able to leverage additional funds, create partnerships, conduct local assessments and plan, and organize volunteers. For every $1 of CSBG, an additional $23.45 was leveraged.Connecticut CAAs utilize diverse funding sources in their anti-poverty work. Mostly through competitive, private, state, and federal grants, Community Action Agencies directed over $207M toward fighting the causes and effects of poverty in 2019, providing positive, healthy outcomes for Connecticut residents.

2019 Funding Sources for Connecticut CAA NetworkFederal (non-CSBG) $ 142,036,906Federal - CSBG $ 8,471,911State $ 33,822,282 Local $ 3,707,515Private $ 19,137,515Total: $ 207,176,129

Profile of Services Programs/Service Area ACCESS ALLIANCE CAANH CAAWC CRT HRA NOI TEAM TVCCA

Individual Development Accounts X X XFinancial Counseling X X X X X X X X XFree Income Tax Preparation X X X X X X X XCT Child Day Care & School Readiness X X X X X X X

Head Start X X X XInfant-Toddler/Early Head Start X X X X X XSpecialized Care & Education X X XYouth Dev- After School & Summer Programs X X X X

Clothing Drive X X X X X XFood Drive X X X X X XToy Drive X X X X X

Alternatives to Incarceration

Halfway Houses & Re-Entry X X

Adult Education X X X X

One-Stop Employment XYouth and Young Adults X X X X X XVocational & Skills Training X X X X X X X

Energy Assistance & Emergency Fuel X X X X X X X X XMatching Payment Programs X X X X X X X X XHome Energy Solicitions/Weatherization X X

Counseling: Individual and/or Family X X

Diaper Bank X X X X

Health Care Access/Medical Transportation X X X X

HIV/AIDS Prevention & Counseling X XSubstance Abuse Prevention & Counseling X

Affordable and/or Subsidized Housing X X X X XEmergency Rental/Mortgage Payment X X X X X X XEmergency Shelter X X X

Eviction Prevention & Mediation X X X X X X X XHomelessness Prevention/Rapid Rehousing X X X X X XSupportive Housing - Adults X X X X XSupportive Housing - Youth X X X

Children & Adult Care Food Program X X X X X X XFood Pantry X X X X X X

Meals on Wheels/Congregate Meals X X X X XSummer Food Program XWomen, Infants & Children (WIC) X X

RSVP & Senior Volunteer Programs X X X X XSenior Support Services X X X X X

Family Development/Parenting Education X X X X X X XHolistic Case Management/Info & Referral X X X X X X X X X

Child Care & Youth Development

Financial Literacy & Asset Development

Housing & Shelter

Seniors

Strengthening Families

Community-wide Services

Employment & Training

Criminal Justice

Energy Assistance & Weatherization

Health

Nutrition

The Connecticut Community Action Agency Network

1 The Access Community Action Agency, Inc. (Access)Peter DeBiasi, President/CEO1315 Main Street, Suite 2 Willimantic, CT 06226 (860) 450-7400 www.accessagency.org

2 Alliance for Community Empowerment (formerly ABCD)

Dr. Monette Ferguson Executive Director1070 Park AvenueBridgeport, CT 06604(203) 366-8241www.alliancect.org

3 Community Action Agency of New Haven, Inc. (CAANH)Amos Smith, President/CEO419 Whalley AvenueNew Haven, CT 06511(203) 387-7700www.caanh.net

4 The Community Action Agency of Western CT, Inc. (CAAWC)Michelle JamesExecutive Director66 North StreetDanbury, CT 06810(203) 744-4700 www.caawc.org

5 Community Renewal Team, Inc. (CRT)Lena RodriguezPresident/CEO555 Windsor Street Hartford, CT 06120(860) 560-5600www.crtct.org

6 Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc. (HRA)Marlo GreponneExecutive Director180 Clinton StreetNew Britain, CT 06053(860) 225-8601 www.hranbct.org

7 New Opportunities, Inc. (NOI)James H. Gatling, Ph.D.President/CEO232 North Elm StreetWaterbury, CT 06702(203) 575-9799 www.newoppinc.org

9 Thames Valley Council for Community Action, Inc. (TVCCA)Deborah Monahan, CEO1 Sylvandale RoadJewett City, CT 06351(860) 889-1365 www.tvcca.org

8 TEAM, Inc. David Morgan President/CEO30 Elizabeth StreetDerby CT 06418(203) 736-5420 www.teaminc.org

Greenwich Darien

Bridgeport

Hartford

New Haven

Stamford

Waterbury

Andover

Ashford

Avon

Barkhamsted

Falls

Berlin

Bethany

Bethel

Bethlehem

Bloomfield

Bolton

Bozrah

Branford

Bridgewater

Bristol

Brookfield

BrooklynBurlington

Canaan

Canterbury

Canton

Chaplin

Cheshire

Chester

Clinton

Colchester

Colebrook

Columbia

Cornwall

Coventry

Cromwell

Danbury

Deep River

Durham

East Granby

East Haddam

EastHampton

EastHartford

EastLyme

EastWindsor

Eastford

Easton

Ellington

Enfield

Essex

Fairfield

Farmington

Franklin

Glastonbury

Goshen

Granby

Griswold

Groton

Guilford

Haddam

Hamden

Hampton

Hartland

Harwinton

Hebron

Kent

Killingly

Killingworth

Lebanon

Ledyard

Lisbon

Litchfield

Lyme

Madison

ManchesterMansfield

Marlborough

MeridenMiddleburyMiddlefield

Middletown

Milford

Monroe

Montville

Morris

Naugatuck

NewBritain

NewCanaan

NewFairfield

NewHartford

NewMilford

Newtown

Norfolk

NorthBranford

NorthCanaan

NorthHaven

North Stonington

Norwalk

Norwich

Old LymeOld

SaybrookOrange

Oxford

Plainfield

PlainvillePlymouth

Pomfret

Portland

PrestonProspect

Putnam

ReddingRidgefield

RockyHill

Roxbury

Salem

Salisbury

Seymour

Sharon

Shelton

Sherman

Simsbury

Somers

South Windsor

Southbury

SouthingtonSprague

Stafford

Sterling

Stonington

Stratford

Suffield

Thomaston

Thompson

Tolland

Torrington

Trumbull

Union

Vernon

Voluntown

Wallingford

Warren

Washington

Waterford

Watertown

WestHartford

WestHaven

Westbrook

Weston

Westport

Willington

Wilton

Winchester

Windham

Windsor

Windsor Locks

Wolcott

Woodbridge

Woodbury

Woodstock

NewingtonWethersfield

Scotland

East Haven

11

88

55

33

99

6677

44

22

Beacon

Ansonia

Derby

NewLondon

203 Main Street300 Plaza Middlesex

Middletown, CT 06457860-832-9438

www.cafca.orgFacebook.com/CTCommunityAction

@CAFCA_Inc

CAFCA is a proud member of the National Community Action Partnership