News & Events
Metropolitan District Urges Customers with Overdue Water Bills to Seek Assistance. Here’s How.
Metropolitan District customers with overdue and unpaid balances on their water bills are urged to apply for financial relief through the Connecticut Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, according to the agency. LIHWAP, a one-time water assistance grant program for eligible households, is administered by the state Department of Social Services and Community Action Agency partners, according to the MDC.
Thames Valley Council for Community Action Executive Director to Retire After 49 Years with Agency
Deborah Monahan started working at Thames Valley Council for Community Action fresh out of college in 1973 and ended up staying for 49 years, the past 24 as head of the agency that serves thousands of New London County residents each year through its offices in New London and Norwich. Monahan will retire Dec. 31 as executive director and CEO of the TVCCA. The nonprofit agency provides a broad range of services.
Access Community Action Agency Staff Support Willimantic Community Event
On April 9, Access Community Action Agency participated in one of the first community events of the year after the easing of COVID restrictions. The event “Time to Play” in Memorial Park in Willimantic was coordinated by the Windham Task Force, formed to prevent and stop Child Abuse and neglect and create more awareness of the issue. Access departments joined together and went as a team with the promise to protect the children of our community. “Access is a great...
Nonprofit Leader Lena Rodriguez Named 132nd Commencement Speaker
Lena Rodriguez, CEO and president of the Community Renewal Team in Hartford, CT, will give the commencement address at Eastern Connecticut State University’s 132nd Commencement Exercises on May 17. The graduation takes place in the XL Center in Hartford, with the formal program beginning at 6 p.m. Rodriguez will also receive an honorary degree from Eastern during the commencement exercises.
‘More Than Just Babysitting’: Child Care Providers Push for More Funding
Thames Valley Council for Community Action programs provided care for the kids of hospital employees and other essential workers in the early days of the pandemic, and TVCCA Executive Director Deb Monahan said it's disappointing now, two years later, to be left behind. Monahan, Riverfront Children's Center Executive Director Sue Radway, and Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut CEO Allison Blake are among those advocating for more funding.
Home Energy Assistance Still Available
The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program is open now at Community Action Agencies across the state for applications through May. Homeowners and renters may apply. The assistance helps pay for a household's primary heating source. The CEAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and more people are now eligible to receive the income-based assistance.
Op-Ed | Helping Those Most in Need
While COVID-19 positivity rates and trends finally seem to be headed in the right direction, people across the state continue to be adversely impacted by the pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. Inflation rose 7.9% last month, the highest annual increase since Cabbage Patch Kids took over Toys R Us and my elementary school. We have seen the cost increases at the grocery store, in our utility bills, and (perhaps most especially) at the gas station.
Rallies Held in Multiple Cities to Call for More Investment in Childcare
A stronger investment in childcare is what many parents and educators asked for during rallies in several cities on March 15. Organizers called the push “Morning without Childcare.” Groups met in Danbury, New Haven, Waterbury, Stamford, New Britain and many other areas. They hoped to call attention to what they describe as a true crisis. The parents and educators gathered in New Britain made a public plea for change within the Early Childhood Care system.
Package of Housing Affordability Bills Moves Forward
The General Assembly’s Housing Committee sent a diverse package of bills to the floor or to other committees with joint favorable reports, including the right to housing bill which seeks to “establish a right to housing for all residents of the state and a right to housing committee.” Deb Monahan, executive director of Thames Valley Council for Community Action, said that “It would be great to pass something like this, but there are two things people need."
7 Danbury Food Organizations to Receive Mini Grants to Feed Elderly Residents
Seven organizations have been awarded mini grants from the United Way of Western Connecticut and the Age Well Community Council to continue their work in addressing food insecurity among Danbury’s eldest residents. Awardees include the Association of Religious Communities, Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut, Daily Bread Food Pantry, Danbury Farmers’ Market and City Center, Interfaith AIDS Ministry, Purple Heart Ministries International, and Real Food Share.