Gov. Walz proclaims May 'Community Action Month' as MinnCAP celebrates 57 years of poverty solutions

For Immediate Release

(ST. PAUL, MINN. – May 6, 2021) – In Minnesota, Community Action Agencies have worked tirelessly over the past year to meet some of the most pressing needs caused by COVID-19, including providing rental, mortgage and utility assistance, food delivery and socially-distanced food distribution events, and broadband and technology support to name a few.

The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 authorized the creation of Community Action Agencies to provide opportunities for self-sufficiency and success for those with limited incomes. Since then, Community Action Agencies have made essential contributions to individuals and families in Minnesota, and across the U.S., by providing them with innovative and cost-effective services over the past half-century. Gov. Tim Walz proclaimed May as “Community Action Month.”

This year, Minnesota Community Action Partnership (MinnCAP) and its 24 agencies and 11 Tribal Nations, will commemorate helping families throughout Minnesota. “Each May, during Community Action Month, we reflect on the impact of community action and our network has had on families throughout Minnesota,” said Bill Grant, executive director of MinnCAP. “Last year alone, community action served over 400,000 Minnesotans, and over 15 million people across the country with immediately needed services such as shelter and food, and also long-term solutions like training and job placement.”

Community Action Agencies serve 99 percent of all U.S. counties with essential services to help families achieve financial stability. All agencies are locally controlled and represented by the private, public, and low-income sectors of the community.

MinnCAP Contact: Elizabeth Warmka, elizabethwarmka@minncap.org