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.
Grief almost upended her childcare business dream, but then Landy found a community to lean on.
While Landy came to Community Action to grow her childcare business, what she found was a network that offered that education and a circle of providers who became her community when she needed it the most.
José found his voice as a Head Start parent. Now, he's encouraging other dads to use theirs too.
A few years ago, José couldn’t have imagined serving on any type of parent-led committee. Or, that a short time later, he would be elected president of one. But when José stepped into the role of Policy Council President of his daughter’s Head Start program in 2025, he realized a child’s education is an important space for him, and other fathers.
Rosie wanted a strong start for her newborn daughter and stability for her whole family. Thanks to you, Rosie found support at every step.
With Leslie’s arrival at a time when childcare costs commonly outpace working wages, Rosie and her husband knew life would look much different than it had when their other kids were born.
Laura’s ambition was to give her daughter the highest quality of childcare. With your help, her dream grew into a thriving business.
Laura knew that there was a better way to provide childcare. Watching her mother assist with caregiving, she saw the impact that bilingual instruction and culturally immersed teaching had on her child’s development. When it came time to enroll her daughter in preschool, Laura searched for options that would continue this level of care but came away wanting more.
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.
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.
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.