ADECA forms community action advisory group

by Staff
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MONTGOMERY— Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Jim Byard Jr. announced today the creation of an advisory group to strengthen the partnership between ADECA and the state’s regional community action agencies.

The announcement comes at the conclusion of Byard’s tour of all 21 community action agencies across the state. Byard scheduled the visits to meet the staff and get a detailed look at the assistance they provide to low-income residents.

“It has been very helpful to observe the operations of each agency and to see firsthand how

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Jim Byard Jr.

they help Alabama residents in need,” Byard said. “I am establishing a roundtable to continue the dialogue started during these visits. I believe that regular and frequent communications will enable us to fulfill our shared mission more effectively.”

Byard said he will identify community action agency directors who will serve as roundtable members by the end of December and will schedule the first quarterly meeting in January.

ADECA works with the community action agencies on numerous projects including programs to provide food and nutrition assistance for elderly residents, assist low-income families with children, offer job readiness skills and training, and assist with home weatherization and heating and cooling bills.

Although all the community action agencies in Alabama were set up with the same goals in mind, each one tailors its programs to the specific needs of the communities they serve.

“These agencies adapt to local needs — whether it’s the Marion-Winston Community Action Agency delivering food to clients in rural areas, or the Community Action Agency of South Alabama operating a thrift store in Daphne,” Byard said. “Our roundtable will bring together this variety of experience so it can be reflected in the policies and procedures that guide the partnership between ADECA and the agencies.”

ADECA provides funding for community action agencies using an allocation Alabama receives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of the Community Services Block Grant program and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program. The U.S. Department of Energy provides ADECA with funds to assist the agencies involved in the weatherization program.

In addition to supporting community action activities, ADECA works with county and municipal officials across the state to administer a wide range of other programs that support law enforcement, economic development, workforce development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.

PRESS RELEASE -Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs

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