City of Columbus Launches Clean-Energy Workforce Development Program through Partnership with IMPACT

Earlier this month, the City of Columbus announced a $1.5 million allocation to IMPACT Community Action to implement Empowered!—a new clean-energy workforce development program complete with experiential job opportunities targeted at 18 to 24-year-old Columbus residents. The program stems from the city’s Sustainable Columbus initiative, whose focus is to promote and strengthen energy-friendly policies and practices in the larger Columbus …

Ashtabula County Community Action Agency Receives Workforce Innovation Award

The following article was originally published in Growth Partnership for Ashtabula County’s 2018 Best of Ashtabula County Awards program. Workforce Innovation Award – Ashtabula County Community Action Agency: Strong Foundations, Successful Futures Several years ago, at the urging of State Representative John Patterson, community leaders came together to explore a Community Learning Center (CLC) approach in the Ashtabula Area City …

Nurturing motherhood through challenges

No matter how you look at it, parenting is tough. But when you add financial struggles and substance recovery to the challenges of raising three young daughters, it all can become very overwhelming. Meloney, a Mansfield, Ohio native, was struggling to raise her children while also living in poverty and trying to overcome addiction. She had difficulty maintaining a job, …

Community Action works by looking beyond the present

The Community Action Network works to provide comprehensive services for low-income Ohioans to help overcome obstacles, provide opportunities to become self-reliant, and to alleviate poverty in communities. It is because of this mission and approach that our neighbors, not only here in Ohio but across the country, are meeting their goals and getting out of poverty. Ohio Heartland Community Action …

Legislative Update

The 130th General Assembly is now on summer break after finishing the biennial budget, presenting us with a good opportunity to review the bills OACAA has followed and those we will continue to follow when the General Assembly returns: HB 3 INSURANCE NAVIGATORS (Sears, B.) Among other provisions, HB 3, which becomes effective on July 30, provides for the certification …

Community Action Helps People and Changes Lives

Wendy Carter worked for several years in human resources, but decided to leave that career to spend more time raising her three daughters. She doesn’t regret that decision, which happened just as her husband Allen’s work as a self-employed contractor plummeted during the recession. For the first time, Wendy and her family needed help. “I never had to ask for help,” she …

Community Action Workforce Development Program Helps Cincinnati Man Start New Career

James had a good job as a food processor, but when the recession hit, he lost this position. His resources were quickly diminishing and James knew he needed to increase his skills to find a new job. James contacted the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency and learned that their Workforce Development program offered a unique Cincinnati Manufacturing Certificates course. This is a …