Speech #1010027002

In 1964. CAAs received their grants from the Office of Economic Opportunity and starting in 1975 from the Federal Community Services Administration. beginning in 1982. from the Community Services block grants [CSBG]. Since 1982. no less than 90 percent of the CSBG moneys have gone to CAAs and migrants and seasonal farmworkers organizations. Twenty years ago. the participation of the poor in the decisionmaking about the programs that were to affect them seemed almost revolutionary. It is that participation of the community at large which has built up the credibility of the CAA within its locality. CAAs are often the sole organization in a community that can effectively respond to the specialized needs of populations such as the handicapped. minorities. refugees. and Native Americans. This is because CAAs are located in the communities they serve. and directors and staff are well known to lowincome citizens in those communities. CAAs offer a comprehensive array of services and are often the best provider of immediate aid in the face of a crisis and for longterm assistance when changes in the poverty population occur. In times of economic downtrends for whole segments of populations. such as after mass flooding or hurricane destruction of property. or other personal catastrophies such as the burning of ones home. CAAs are usually the first on the scene with assistance for immediate needs. and are later the conduits for public and private relief services. This is true also when a community receives a sudden influx of refugees. when fuel prices soar. or unemployment increases due to plant or mine shutdowns. For 25 years our people have enjoyed and benefited greatly from Community Action Agenciesthe only network of local organizations nationwide that are specifically mandated. and whose experience is extensive. to serve lowincome people. Even the Bureau of the Census has recognized their abilities by using them extensively during the last national census to inform the poor that they could answer questions without being threatened in order to obtain the necessary information from the low income.