News & Events
Connecticut’s Moratorium on Utility Shutoffs Ended. Here’s Where You Can Still Get Help.
For Lee Carenza, the state moratorium on utilities shutoffs was important for as long as it lasted, helping people who lost their jobs or were furloughed. “It got them through to where people are back to work for the most part and able to meet their needs,” said Carenza, director of community services for Thames Valley Council for Community Action (TVCCA). Carenza said his organization has taken in over 2,155 applications since Aug. 1.
Alliance For Community Empowerment cuts ribbon in Bridgeport’s East End
An anti-poverty agency is making critical services like rental and utility assistance available to residents of Bridgeport's East End. Alliance for Community Empowerment held the ribbon-cutting at their newest facility on Stratford Avenue and Carroll Avenue in the East End of Bridgeport today. For the first time ever, the agency will be making critical services available - everything from energy, rental, and utility assistance to COVID shots and help finding jobs.
Community Action Agencies Now Accepting Energy and Heating Assistance Applications
The Connecticut Community Action Agency (CAA) Network is now accepting energy assistance applications for the 2021-2022 heating season. Connecticut residents who need assistance paying their utility bills and primary heating costs can apply for energy assistance at their local CAA. Community Action Agencies are the only nonprofit agencies administering the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in all 169 cities and towns.
Opinion: The action in Community Action Month
They say it takes a village to raise a child. What does that mean, exactly? That their community interacts with and supports them, which is crucial in helping that child grow in a safe and healthy environment. As a little girl in the Head Start program run by my local Community Action Agency, I had no way of knowing just how true this is — and how it would come to shape the trajectory of my life.
Valley Residents Detail Housing Troubles During Team Inc Forum
Valley leaders from all walks of life, from caretakers and clergy to school superintendents and state lawmakers, have joined forces to help people find safe and affordable housing here. TEAM Inc., the Valley’s nonprofit human services agency, hosted a virtual housing forum March 30 via Zoom, which was then posted on YouTube. The forum is posted at the top of this story. The forum drew more than 70 people, and included often heartbreaking input from tenants living in public housing.
Rybczyk fills shoes of CEO at New Opportunities, Inc.
There’s a new opportunity for William Rybczyk. After spending his entire professional career at New Opportunities, Inc., Rybczyk was tapped to replace James Gatling, who retired last week after decades as the social service organization’s president and CEO. “There’s no replacing Gatling,” Rybczyk said. “You don’t just walk in and replicate 42 years of experience and the legacy that he’s had. What you can do, is gain what you’ve learned during that time.” He said he worked directly with Gatling for the past...
After spending 42 years helping those less fortunate, New Opportunities CEO retires
Sometimes, James Gatling said, you think you know what you want to do with your life, but life has different plans. “I went to college, I studied and I became a chemist,” he said. “Sometimes you find out what you’re supposed to do in life and if you listen to that inner voice, you find out you’re in the right place.” Gatling, 73, stayed in the “right place” – New Opportunities of Waterbury, Inc. – for 42 years.
Establish a support fund for Connecticut’s working poor and others
For nearly 60 years, community action agencies (CAAs) have worked to address and reduce the causes and conditions of poverty by providing comprehensive case management services and application assistance for social service programs to the state’s poorest residents. CAAs connect low- and moderate-income people of all ages, in all 169 cities and towns, with resources that stabilize and improve lives and communities. These services and resources include, but are not limited to, food, shelter, heating assistance, employment and training, asset...
CT Community Action Agencies Offering Free Tax Preparation Assistance
Connecticut’s Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are providing free tax preparation services to eligible individuals and families across the state through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. VITA is available for residents with low to moderate incomes, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance preparing and filing their tax returns. Last year, over 10,000 people filed their tax returns at CAAs.
Local organization provides meals to people who need to quarantine due to pandemic
When people need to quarantine due to the pandemic, they really need to stay home and that can be difficult, especially for those who may not have access to everything they need to isolate for ten days. Terry Dunn is a community resource coordinator with the TVCCA, the Thames Valley Council for Community Action. Today he continues his new duties during this pandemic.