People Helping People: The Power of Community Action 

When I think about Community Action Month, I think about people. Communities are built by employees, community partners, donors, volunteers, neighbors, board members, and countless others who choose to get involved. They get involved not because they have to, but because they have a passion for helping others. 

What makes these people so passionate? Is it literally “people helping people”, as the National Community Action Partnership tagline states? Is it the feeling you have when you know you’ve done good work, allowing you to rest your head on a soft pillow each evening? Is it the goodness in the hearts of those doing the work? 

When President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the War on Poverty, I imagine he envisioned communities coming together to create stronger support systems, deeper connections, and greater economic opportunity. 

Every community action agency is different because it is specifically designed to meet the needs of the local community it serves. Each community has unique cultures, weather conditions, populations, and challenges. In Northwest Michigan, programs like Meals on Wheels and Head Start have served as flagship programs for decades, alongside impactful services such as Weatherization, the VITA Tax Program, and food distribution efforts that help individuals and families overcome housing, economic, and educational barriers. This flexibility and diversity are exactly why Community Action has continued to make an impact for more than 60 years. 

Community Action is more than a network of programs. It is neighbors helping neighbors and communities investing in one another. 

When you think of community action, what do you think of? 

Written by: Erica Austin