News

As reported by Lily Bohlke, Public News Service:

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May is Community Action Month, and Community Action Agencies in Massachusetts are raising awareness about the wraparound services they provide to low-income residents.

Joe Diamond, E.D. of MASSCAP & Nancy Wagman, Research & KIDS Count Director at MassBudget join Good Trouble to give the historical context in equity here in the Commonwealth.

As reported by Lily Bohlke, Public News Service:

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A new report shows financial supports made available in the pandemic have led to a direct reduction in poverty in Massachusetts.

Lessons Learned to Help Families Moving Along the Road to Opportunity in Massachusetts

Financial assistance during the pandemic such as expanded unemployment benefits, expansion and extension of the child tax credit, and additional SNAP benefits all contributed to direct reductions in poverty and racial disparities.

· Earned Income Tax Awareness Day ·

Today the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) along with Berkshire Community Action Council were joined by Congressman Richard Neal, Senator Adam Hinds, and Representative John Barrett III among others in kicking off this year’s tax season by launching the annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) as well as recognizing the importance of accessing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

As reported by Lily Bohlke, Public News Service:

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With tax season underway, Massachusetts groups are raising awareness about the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), an IRS-sponsored program to help people file their income taxes correctly and maximize their refunds.

As reported by Lily Bohlke, Public News Service:

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Community Action Agencies applauded the Massachusetts General Court for its commitments to anti-poverty efforts in the 2022 state budget, and urged Gov.

As reported by Lily Bohlke, Public News Service:

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Community Action Agencies say $5 million in the House version of the Massachusetts state budget next year would go a long way toward helping the most vulnerable communities recover from the pandemic.

A Focus on Fuel Assistance and Weatherization

MASSCAP, along with Action Inc., the network of Community Action Agencies in Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Energy Directors Association (MEDA), will launch its annual statewide awareness campaign to ensure that vulnerable Massachusetts families are able to keep safe, warm and healthy this winter. 

MASSCAP and Boston Tax Coalition Launch Pilot

Preparing and filing tax returns bring everyone stress annually, especially those living with low incomes, and especially during a time of crisis when it is harder to access services. 

Finding Innovative Ways to Continue to Serve Both New and Existing Families
Visit masscap.org to find your local Community Action Agency

The pandemic is affecting our lives in profound and unexpected ways. 

Check out our NEW video series: Service & Recovery in the time of COVID-19

Updated 4/7/20

The pandemic is affecting our lives in profound and unexpected ways. 

Thousands of Households To Be Helped Immediately

On behalf of thousands of vulnerable households struggling with their energy burden across the Commonwealth, we thank Chairman Michlewitz and the House Ways and Means Committee for drafting a supplemental budget that includes $15M for Fuel Assistance.  

Thousands of Households Have Run Out of Home Heating Oil
Advocates Call for Formal Federal/State Partnership

In response to a second consecutive reduction in federal fuel assistance resources legislators in the Senate led by Senators Hinds and Tarr, and in the House, led by Representatives Mark and Wong, joined last week by more than half of their colleagues, urged budget writers in both chambers to include $15 million for fuel assistance in the FY20 Supplemental Budget. 

Earned Income Tax Awareness Day · Celebrating 50 years of VITA

Today the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) along with the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC) and the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) were joined by Senator Sal DiDomenico, Representative Marjorie Decker, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, and the Deputy Treasurer Alayna Van Tassel among others in kicking off this year’s tax season by launching the annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) and celebrating 50 years of this critical program as well as recognizing the importance of accessing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

A Focus on Fuel Assistance and Weatherization

MASSCAP, along with LEO Inc., the network of Community Action Agencies in Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Energy Directors Association (MEDA), will launch its annual statewide awareness campaign to ensure that vulnerable Massachusetts families are able to keep safe, warm and healthy this winter. 

Effective programs that help families to make ends meet, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, SNAP, fuel assistance, school lunches, Head Start, and Social Security cut the number of people in Massachusetts living in poverty by almost half and reduce the number of children living in poverty by more than half, according to a new report on poverty called “Obstacles on the Road to Opportunity: Finding a Way Forward Together.” The report was commissioned by the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) and written by Nancy Wagman, Kids Count Director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget).

One Holyoke family is now finally able to make the down payment on their first home. This family with 2 young children and 2 working parents who have been saving for some time left the Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site smiling.

We very much appreciate and are grateful to our elected officials – our legislators and the governor – for being so responsive and sensitive to the needs of our vulnerable friends and neighbors living with low-incomes and struggling with high energy burdens which are a drain on their limited resources and threaten their health and safety.

As Reported by Crystal Haynes, Boston 25 News:

BOSTON – Families living on tight budgets are facing another tough week with brutal wind chills and snow in the forecast.