Community Action Month Recap

Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP) was incorporated in the spring of 1965, as part of the U.S. Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. This Act was created for the purpose of strengthening, supplementing, and coordinating efforts in furtherance of The War on Poverty, which is the unofficial name for a piece of legislation first introduced by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In other words, the Federal government was trying to be more strategic about how it spent its funds to alleviate poverty. Since communities across the nation are so diverse in need (especially between urban and rural communities), the concept of Community Action was born, to administer Federal funds to alleviate poverty on a local, grassroots level.

Each May, the 1000+ Community Action Agencies across the nation come together to celebrate Community Action. Even though all Community Action Agencies look different, depending on the needs of the community they serve, we all have the same overarching goals and values.

The Promise of Community Action is that “Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.”

This past month, Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP) kicked off Community Action Month by volunteering to be a part of the city’s Keeping Belfast Maine Beautiful clean up event. It was a great opportunity to get outside, share some laughs with coworkers, and appreciate the level of pride everyone has for our fantastic mid-coast community. We even made some new friends along the way.

On May 7th, we took part in National Teacher Appreciation Week in conjunction with Community Action Month by celebrating our Early Childhood Programs many amazing teachers, classroom aides, and staff. If you’ve ever been in one of our Early Childhood Program classrooms, or any classroom at all, you know the special kind of magic teachers bring with them. On National Teacher Appreciation Day and every day, we are filled with gratitude for the good work being done for the children in our community.

Later in the month, WCAP joined others across the world by celebrating families on the International Day of Families and families and also joined forces with the 9 other Community Action Agencies in Maine to share information on social media about our collective impact as a network. We also shared some of our own impact information, which you can find at the end of this article.

Throughout the years, thousands of community members, civic organizations, and businesses have opened their doors to our agency. We can’t help but look back and think how much better we are because of them and the enrichment they offer not only to those we serve but also our community as a whole. Thank you, Waldo County, for a very fulfilling 54 years and more to come!