Michigan Community Action is a member service network dedicated to reducing poverty in Michigan by supporting Community Action Agencies in their quest to change the lives of low-income Michiganders. We invite you to learn more about Community Action, the causes we’re fighting for, and the progress we're making. 
Statement from Michigan Community Action about the Social Justice Roots of Our Movement and Anti-Racism
(Okemos, MI, June 3, 2020) The Community Action movement was formed in the crucible of the Civil Rights era of the 1960s to fight poverty at the local level. Our movement is part of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Lyndon B. Johnson, and countless community activists who envisioned an empowered, community-centered way to fight poverty and cultivate economic opportunity.
The struggles of our nation and our world today to cope with the legacies of systemic racism and the violence of economic and social inequality are increased by the COVID-19 crisis.
Members of our anti-poverty movement are on the frontlines of our communities in our war against poverty. We've witnessed first-hand the result of disinvestment in education, affordable housing, lack of access to healthcare, and the explosive growth of mass incarceration. We've witnessed how disinvestment in human beings harms the resilience of our communities, families, and individuals, and especially harms those who are vulnerable to systemic racism.
Despite our efforts and the efforts our partners in non-profits, government, and business, the gaps in our social safety net continue to widen. Life expectancies are decreased and upward social mobility is further and further out of reach for poor children, and especially black and brown children born in poverty.
Racism impoverishes us all. It breaks the bonds of the social contract, and crushes our potential to truly thrive and make our communities places of opportunity and peace.
There can be no peace without accountability and reconciliation. It is not enough to condemn racism, we must be actively anti-racist and ready to do the work as advocates and leaders. We stand with our partners: community leaders and activists, elected officials, and non-profit leaders and foundations who are ready to roll up their sleeves to enact reforms that will help our communities, families and individuals to heal from the trauma of racism and inequality.
About Michigan Community Action:
Michigan Community Action is the state association for the 28 designated Community Action Agencies in Michigan. We are part of a national network of over 1,000 local organizations that help people move from poverty to economic stability and self-sufficiency. Our mission is to strengthen and inspire Community Action Agencies to champion solutions to poverty and to promote economic opportunity and stability for all. Our network is united by the promise of Community Action, which 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.
Chong-Anna Canfora
Executive Director, Michigan Community Action
Michigan Community Action Board of Directors:
Jill Sutton, Board Chair | Michelle Williamson, Vice President | Kerri Duff, Treasurer | Toby Berry
| Lisa Evans | Michelle LaJoie | Melinda Johnson | Doug McFadden | Mary Ann Neopolitan
| Matt Purcell
Our First Virtual Summer Conference is Live!
Registered attendees can access the conference here. Materials will only be available to registered attendees. There is still time to register, if you would like to attend, please register here.
Consultant-On-Call Sessions
New Michigan Community Action benefit for Community Action Agencies!
Consultant-On-Call
Free consulting sessions with a nonprofit expert!
Ever wish you could just pick up the phone and call an expert for advice…for FREE? Well, now’s your chance!
In an exciting new opportunity Michigan Community Action (MCA) is offering, nonprofit expertLaura Huth-Rhoades with do good Consulting is hosting a Consultant-On-Call program. This is a unique – and limited – opportunity for your agency to sign up for 1 hour of high-impact FREE consulting with her.
Need advice, a sounding board, or a helping hand with an issue or idea? Sign up!
Laura can help you talk through frustrations, brainstorm ideas, or collaborate on how best to address shifting needs. You name it. Talk fundraising. Crisis management. Communications. Remote staffing challenges. Budget woes. You name it.
Book your session with her by phone. By Zoom. By Messenger. By Skype. You name it. Check out Laura’s expertise areas here.
There are only 10 free sessions available that are being offered on a first-come-first-serve basis to MCA member agencies. Don’t wait to sign up!
Sign up for your free session with Laura here (you will need to have a MemberClicks account to access article with link)
Please note: Topics not covered under Laura’s expertise include accounting and budgeting, legal, and HR policy. Only one session per agency is permitted.
MCA Summer Conference is going Virtual
We are excited to let you know that the Michigan Community Action annual Summer Conference is going virtual.
Michigan Community Action is in the company of thousands of conference planners across the country in process of re-imagining how to hold a conference safely in an uncertain time when mass gatherings are currently prohibited and will likely still be inadvisable and highly risky even a few months from now.
We are fortunate that there are many tools and resources available today to enable groups like MCA to host a virtual conferences and training webinars. We will use this opportunity to offer high quality sessions virtually to attendees.
We are committed to serving members and offering ongoing opportunities for professional development and learning that you can apply in your work and service to your clients.
We appreciate your patience as MCA reconfigures the summer conference into a virtual learning space and we will fill you in on the details over the coming weeks. Those of you that have pre-registered for the traditional conference can wait and apply your registration fees to the virtual trainings or the association can make arrangements for a refund if you wish.
As always, it is an honor to serve you – there is no Community Action movement without you.
Thank you and stay safe,
Chong-Anna
Michigan Community Action mini-toolkit for Community Action Month
Click the links below to download Michigan Community Action branded social media images for your agency to use this May during Community Action Month and a short version of the social media guide and suggested posts for each day of May.
Community Action Month 2020 Mini Toolkit PDF
MCA Branded Community Action Month Social Media Images DOC Updated 5.14.20
Receive your Stimulus Check
FOR DETAILED INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT THE GOVERNOR’S STAY HOME, STAY SAFE ORDER ISSUED ON 3/23/20:
Please go here for more information.
COVID-19 Resources for members of Michigan Community Action, partners and volunteers
Dear Colleagues, the staff at Michigan Community Action will continue to provide updates through our website. We are monitoring this quickly evolving situation and will do our best to communicate with you regularly as conditions change. We have gathered a number of resources, links and tools that agencies can use and we will continue to update it as new resources and information are developed. We are confident that we will navigate this difficult and uncertain period together.
Please click here to access the page with these resources.
Healthy Michigan Plan (HMP) Work Requirements
These requirements are starting January 1, 2020. Please click each image to enlarge.
 
Preparations for Flooding
Michigan has had record levels of rain this spring. With more rain on the way, here are some tips to prepare your home and your family.
Get a weather radio or sign up for weather alerts via text One of the first things you can do is buy a weather radio or sign up for text messages that can broadcast weather bulletins from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Research Your flood risk
Learn in advance whether your area is susceptible to flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains online flood maps to show the locations and risk levels in specific geographic areas. You can also contact your county planning division to get an assessment of your flood risk.
Prepare emergency supply kits for your home, work, and car
Ready.gov is an excellent governmental resource for information on how to prepare for inclement weather and other disasters. Here’s a great checklist of what to pack in your emergency kits, which should be standardized for your home, workplace, and car so they can be easily accessed in the event of an emergency.
Establish your evacuation route
Knowing your way in and out of your immediate geographic vicinity and how to navigate your community when it’s flooded could save your life. You will need to keep to higher ground if you do evacuate. All family members should know where they are supposed to meet, and that information should be written down. Go over these plans with your family to ensure that everyone knows what they should do.
Have a plan for communicating with family members
During an emergency, sending texts or instant messages can be faster than a phone call. All family members also need to have a family contact that is out of the immediate geographic area, in the event information needs to be passed through a third party. If you have been evacuated, do not return until authorities broadcast that it is safe. You’ll also want to let friends and family know that you are safe. Checking in on social media or using the Safe And Well website sponsored by the American Red Cross can be a quick and useful way to broadcast that you are out of harm’s way.
Raise up appliances, other items to protect them from damage
Flooding can cause substantial damage not only to your home but also to your property, including sensitive appliances. Raising up major appliances and electrical outlets can help keep them from being flooded. You can always get inspiration from these flood-proof homes.
Save your important documents
Copy, save, or upload to the cloud important papers and documents including insurance policies, photographs of your stuff and your home, and any other important records like leases or birth certificates.
Protect your drains from increasing the damage
A house’s water and sewage systems are particularly prone to flood damage, making a big mess even harder to clean up. Installing a sump pump, which dispels water from basements and other low-lying areas, can help with this risk. You can also use backflow valves in toilets, drains, and sinks to prevent floodwaters from backing up. 
Michigan Community Action Opposes Directive No. 14 to Change the Way Official Poverty Measure is Calculated
The calculation of the Official Poverty Measure (OPM) sets guidelines for people to qualify for help with life-saving programs like food assistance, housing, health care and transportation services. The Trump Administration has proposed a change to the calculation of the OPM that would exclude more Michigan families from benefits they need to live modestly and safely in our communities. Please see our statement on Directive No. 14.
For more news click here to go to our Announcements page
Current Job Opportunities in Community Action
PlaidWorks Micro-Internship Initiative
For the Summer of 2020, Alma College is offering students a PlaidWorks Grant up to $500 when they complete a PlaidWorks Micro-Internship.
A micro-internship is a short term (20-40 hour) professional project, similar to that which could be completed by an intern or entry-level employee, and which can be completed entirely remotely. Read more.
MCA is a proud member of America’s Poverty Fighting Network, the Community Action Partnership
   
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