Save Community Action!

It’s hard to believe.

Staff members at community action agencies across the nation felt their hearts skip a beat when President Obama, during his Jan. 25 State of the Union address, said regarding next year’s budget:

“I’ve proposed cuts to things I care deeply about, like community action programs.”

Reports now indicate that President Obama’s budget proposal will include a 50 percent cut in the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) funding, the major funding source for Community Action Agencies across the country. Including Springfield Partners for Community Action.

CSBG is the only federal program supporting services to fight poverty.

It’s hard to believe that Springfield Partners, founded shortly after President Johnson declared a ‘War on Poverty’ back in 1964, would today have to cut services by 50 percent.

A 50% cut means that instead of helping 11,000 in a year, we help 5,500 and turn away the other 5,500.

A 50% cut means that Springfield Partners employs 25 people, not 50. A 50% cut means that we give affordable, quality childcare to 50 families a year, not 100.

A 50% cut means that thousands of Springfield families will not get the ‘hand up’ they need to climb up and out of poverty.

It’s hard to believe.

Fortunately, Community Action agencies have not lost their grassroots identity. Advocacy and fighting for what’s right is part of our tradition. We’re going to fight.

But we need YOU to join this fight, too. Someone in your family has probably benefitted from Community Action programs, whether it was a free tax return filing, a financial literacy class, first-time homebuyer counseling, or a food pantry voucher.

Please, pay it forward. Here’s what you can do:

1. Get Informed and Spread the Word! Visit and share:

http://www.springfieldpartnersinc.com/SaveCommunityAction/

http://www.capworks.org/

http://www.counterpunch.org/warnke02082011.html

2. Call or write the President. Here's how: 

• Please sign this online petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/4iA8vA4g/petition.html to save CSBG Community Action funding!
• Please visit http://www.springfieldpartnersinc.com/SaveCommunityAction/ and download and mail a letter to the President.
• Call President Obama’s office at (202) 456-1111 and urge him to leave CSBG funding intact.
• Send an email to President Obama and urge him to leave CSBG funding intact. 
• Call our Executive Director, Paul Bailey, at (413) 263-6500 and ask what you can do to help.