Over the past year, one of the most valuable parts of serving as OACAA’s Executive Director has been traveling across Ohio and spending time with our Community Action Agencies. I’ve had the opportunity to see programs firsthand, talk with staff and leadership, and learn more about both the opportunities agencies see in their communities and the challenges they face in doing this work.
Those conversations have made something clearer to me than ever: our Network has tremendous expertise and important voices that need to be part of the conversations shaping public policy in Ohio.
Community Action sees where policy meets reality. Our agencies understand the barriers facing families because they work alongside them every day. They see how housing, transportation, child care, energy costs, food insecurity, workforce challenges and other issues intersect. Just as importantly, our statewide Network understands that the challenges facing families, and the solutions that will work, can look very different from one Ohio community to another.
I believe we have an opportunity to bring that collective experience together and take our advocacy to the next level. That is why OACAA has launched a project to develop a new Policy and Advocacy Agenda for Ohio’s Community Action Network. Over the coming months, we will engage members, staff, advocacy partners and other stakeholders to identify shared priorities, determine where Community Action can have the greatest impact, and strengthen our collective advocacy capacity.
Right now, we need your voice in that process.
Our Policy and Advocacy Survey is open through Friday, September 4, and I want to thank everyone who has already taken the time to participate. The feedback we receive will help shape the conversations and priorities that guide this work. If you haven’t completed the survey yet, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to do so. Whether you work directly with customers, administer programs, manage an agency, work in fiscal or operations, or serve your agency in another capacity, your perspective matters. Building an agenda that truly represents Ohio’s Community Action Network requires hearing from people throughout the Network. And as a small thank you for participating, everyone who completes the survey has the opportunity to enter a raffle for a $20 gift card.
The timing of this work is important. Following this fall’s elections, Ohio will enter 2027 with a new Governor and a new General Assembly. We have an opportunity to bring the experience of Community Action to those new leaders and help shape conversations about poverty, economic mobility and the challenges facing Ohio families and communities. After a year of traveling the state, I am convinced we already have the expertise and experience necessary to be an even stronger voice in those conversations.
Now we need to bring those voices together and make sure they are heard.