Organization: Arizona Community Action Association
Mission: ACAA addresses poverty across Arizona. Through a collaboration of nearly 300 organizations and individuals, ACAA develops and implements strategies to address and ultimately eliminate poverty.
Activities: The Home Energy Assistance Fund partners continue assisting vulnerable families in all 15 counties and provided assistance to over 10,229 households. Individuals received utility bill and deposit assistance, weatherization, utility appliance repair and replacement support.
Community partners explained SNAP eligibility process and requirements to clients on site, assisted with the completion of Healthy Arizona Plus HEAplus applications and, individuals received assistance with Arizona Self Help prescreening to 66,121 new households. Consumer surveys collected over a two week period in January 2020 reflected 1,535 respondents, an average 9.4 out of 10 rating for comfort talking to partner about services, 95 had all questions answered, and 50 will return for renewal services.
Wildfire continues to support educating Arizona communities on the root causes of poverty. Our focus includes policy issues, anti-racism, privilege, oppression, and economic equity, including living wages, wealth building, employment and ending economic exploitation and predatory lending. In addition, we train community members on solutions for ending poverty, including activism, advocacy and education, social movements, public policy and organizational change. Wildfire continues to work in collaboration with other Marguerite Casey Foundation funded organizations across the state to create a network of social change agencies, and received funding in 2020 to further this work.
NTEE category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Secondary category: Housing & Shelter