Impact Stories
Helping You Reach Your Goals
For more than 60 years, Community Action has focused on proven programs that close the gap between what people have and what they need to thrive. By providing services that empower individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency—along with the community support to sustain it—we help build stronger communities every day.
In Washington County, Oregon, where families often need incomes far above the federal poverty level to avoid economic insecurity, our work remains essential in creating pathways out of poverty.
Because of you, Miranda’s family found safety and warmth right when they needed it.
Miranda and Timothy moved their family to Washington County with the promise of a job promotion and fresh beginning. But when the start date for Miranda’s new job was delayed and their savings were drained, the family found themselves unsheltered in the cold. With your support, Miranda and Timothy were provided shelter and the help they needed to get back on their feet.
Pregnant and facing prison, Krystal knew she needed to make a change.
When Krystal found out she was pregnant, she was in a bad place. She had been battling addiction for years and was now facing prison.
But thanks to donors like you, Krystal found Community Action’s Coffee Creek Head Start program. This innovative program provides an opportunity for incarcerated moms to bond with their young children, learn about parenting and child development, and supports their transition upon release.
The housing crisis is especially difficult for vulnerable seniors.
Margaret was 90 years old when she came to a frightening realization - she could no longer afford the rent on her apartment. When she got behind on rent, the unthinkable happened. She was served with an eviction notice.
But thanks to donors like you, Margaret found help through our innovative eviction prevention program keeping her secure in her apartment for years to come.
With your help, an immigrant family found critical support for their three-year-old during a challenging time.
Sam and Rose immigrated from Kenya to further their careers and better educational opportunities for their children. Their daughter, Zoey, was a toddler who didn’t speak English. During this life transition, Sam and Rose reached out to Head Start.
Because of your support, Head Start was able to give Zoey the social and emotional support she needed while learning a new language in a new country.
After living in a car for two months, Alicia knew she needed to find help for herself and her family.
Alicia had been supporting her family for years working as a caretaker in a nursing home. But when her hours were suddenly reduced, she couldn’t make her monthly rent payments, and she lost her home.
She turned to Community Action during her time of crisis.
Thanks to donors like you, our family shelter provided a safe, supportive living space for Alicia and her family.
Jasmin wanted to make a better life for her daughter.
Throughout her childhood and into adolescence, Jasmin, one of ten siblings, lived with the struggle of poverty. So when she became a mom herself, she vowed to make a better life for her daughter.
Because of donors like you, Community Action was there to provide critical support for career advancement that helped her break the cycle of poverty for her and her young family.
Because of your support, Jeanne no longer dreads her home in winter
Jeanne’s furnace of twenty years went out at the worst time – the middle of January. As a retired art therapist living on social security, she could not afford a new one. To make things worse, she suffers from debilitating arthritis that gets aggravated in the cold. As temperatures dropped, the cold affected her condition to the point where she had trouble walking. Thanks to supporters like you, the Energy Conservation team was able to restore heat to her home with a new furnace and new insulation.
When crisis hit, your support helped Jessica and her family find a path toward a better future
After summoning the strength to leave an abusive relationship, Jessica found herself in a very difficult situation. She was suddenly a single mom of two and she was expecting her third. Difficulties with her pregnancy forced her to leave her manufacturing job. Because of donors like you, Jessica received the support to keep a roof over her family's head, and was given the resources to launch her very own child care business, changing the trajectory of her and her family's lives.
After being homeless for three years, Kira and her kids finally got into an apartment. The pandemic put all that at risk.
Kira turned to us for help when she lost her job due to the pandemic and could not pay her rent. She was scared as she faced the prospect of becoming homeless. Because of donors like you, Kira received emergency rent assistance. Kira and her kids are now able to stay safe and secure in their home.
Thanks to donors like you, Tina’s unexpected car repairs didn’t derail her family’s progress
When Tina was faced with $2,000 of unexpected car repairs, she was at a loss. As a single mom of four boys including one with special needs, she had no other way to get them to their various therapy appointments. Fortunately, Tina was working with a Family Advocate at Community Action who helped her apply for funds from our donor-supported Family Development Fund. With your donations, we were able to help Tina with her car repairs and keep her family on track.
Facing an uncertain future of being able to remain safely in their home, John and Ruth found help and hope at a critical time.
John and Ruth were a semi-retired couple living on a fixed income and caring for an elderly parent. With limited finances and aging appliances, the couple struggled to keep their house warm – and faced an uncertain future of being able to safely remain in their home. Because of your support, Community Action’s Energy Conservation program was able to provide John and Ruth’s home with the right upgrades and repairs – giving the couple help and hope at a critical time.