The service areas of Community Action Agencies (CAAs) cover 97 percent of the nation’s counties. Agencies are connected by a national network that includes the Community Action Partnership National Association, regional associations, state associations, a national lobbying organization, and a national association of Community Services Block Grant administrators. The funding source that connects all Community Action Agencies is the Community Services Block Grant and it is the lifeline of funding for so many in our communities.
CAAs are a primary source of direct support for the more than 34.5 million people who live in poverty in the United States. The majority of CAA program participants are extremely poor, with incomes below 75 percent of the federal poverty threshold, or $9,735 for a family of three (the average family size for the client population). Each Community Action Agency is unique in the services it provides to its service area. Plans are designed and implemented through an annual community action planning process and plans are designed to meet the unique and often diverse needs of every service area with direct input from the poor. In Merced County our primary areas of service are child care, nutritional support, homeless services, energy savings programs, and advocacy. All programs are targeted towards the poor. Programs and services are constantly evolving.
The Merced County Community Action Agency is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization and has been delivering services in Merced and surrounding counties since 1965.
