In addition to loan programs, CAAs have developed business incubator projects to provide new businesses with the necessary resources, including technical assistance and access to shared office space and equipment. These business development services help small businesses establish themselves and operate successfully in the community.

CAAs have long partnered with faith-based organizations to create and deliver services to the low-income community. Programs, such as literacy, child care, nutrition and youth mentoring, are often co-housed in faith-based settings to make these services available to clients.

Head Start is a federally funded child development program for children three to five years old. CAAs have been a longtime and effective administrator of Head Start in 80 percent of New Jersey’s 21 counties, caring for more than 10,000 children daily. Head Start is available to children of income-eligible families and to children with special needs, by providing classroom education, medical, dental, and mental health services, nutrition, transportation, and family services at no cost to families. In many cases, Head Start provides children quality child care that enables parents to seek employment or attend school. CAAs offer full- and half-day and full-year Head Start programs to effectively meet the needs of working families

Community Action Agencies (CAAs) have a longtime commitment to ensuring the health and well-being of the community. To that end, CAAs offer programs such as health screening, family planning, prenatal clinics, and neighborhood clinics to ensure early detection and monitoring of health problems. Medical and dental services are offered on a sliding fee scale.

The availability of affordable housing is often a challenge to self-sufficiency for individuals and families. From the beginning of Community Action, CAAs have worked with banks, private foundations, state, local and federal funding sources, municipalities and with faith-based organizations to build affordable housing. New Jersey’s CAAs have developed and built single-family homes, townhomes, senior citizen housing, housing for those with disabilities, and for those with HIV/AIDS.

CAAs are committed to promoting affordable homeownership. Working with potential home buyers, CAAs have developed thousands of affordable homes and provided comprehensive housing counseling before awarding homeownership. In addition, CAAs have made their community-based expertise available to others through construction and management of healthcare centers, senior centers, child care centers, and other community-focused facilities.

The Individual Development Account (IDA) program helps income-eligible households save a portion of their income, set long-term financial goals and learn economic literacy. The concept was originally a program offered by banks to help low-income households establish and meet financial goals. Today, the IDA program is offered by CAAs as a cornerstone to self-sufficiency.

Participants pledge a savings goal of up to $2,000 during the course of one to two years. The program is designed to encourage major goals, like buying a home, starting a business or paying for college. During the course of the savings plan, participants attend classes on financial literacy. At the conclusion of the program, participants who meet their savings goals are rewarded with a dollar match of one-to-one, two-to-one or even three-to-one, depending on the matching source.

CAAs have worked closely with Empowerment Zones, Boards of Social Service, Offices of Employment & Training, and local banks to offer the IDA program.

Literacy is a key component to ensuring self-sufficiency and is a problem throughout New Jersey. Some New Jersey counties have rates as high as 37 percent for illiterate adults. Finding employment and earning a living wage becomes unlikely for adults who cannot read. Community Action Agencies (CAAs) work with programs such as Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) to provide training and tutoring to assist adults in basic literacy, skills enhancement and English as a Second Language. All assistance is done in confidence and is free of charge.

CAAs are involved in promoting the dreams of entrepreneurs while promoting community revitalization. Partnering with local banks, CAAs offer loan programs, ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 to meet the needs of small businesses. Micro-loans are given to applicants following the completion of a business training program and the development of a comprehensive and feasible business plan. Loans for capital, inventory, machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures, leasehold improvement, and real estate are eligible for funding.

Since the beginning of Community Action, this program has been a staple of New Jersey CAAs. Agencies stabilize a family’s domestic setting by providing emergency services to avoid housing eviction and utility shut-offs and distribute food and clothing. In partnership with the state and other organizations, CAAs provide energy assistance, weatherization programs and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) to eligible households.

Following an emergency intervention, CAAs offer housing counseling services. Once a family’s domestic situation is stabilized, it is the goal of the agency to guide the family with the knowledge of how to maintain that setting and improve their quality of life. This is a favorable alternative to continued dependence on emergency assistance.

Community Action Agencies (CAAs) offer Neighborhood Services & Housing Counseling programs through a variety of funding sources, including the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and have been successful in moving families from homelessness to home ownership.
Nutrition Education & Outreach

Many CAAs offer a variety of nutrition and education programs, including the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program. The goal of the WIC program is to promote and maintain the health and well-being of eligible families who are nutritionally at-risk. Nutrition outreach programs educate caregivers about use of state produce resources and then match them to a variety of Jersey Fresh initiatives.

WIC, along with other CAA programs, has been innovative in its approach to ensuring the nutritional needs of families. Extending Head Start Center hours and co-housing offices in One-Stop Centers or in houses of worship have placed the services in areas most accessible to those in need. CAA nutrition programs reached more than 500,000 families last year

CAAs employ a variety of activities to provide a voice for those most in need, but least likely to have a voice to be heard by policy makers. To ensure that the voice of New Jersey's low-income population is heard, CAAs implement public awareness tactics, including one-on-one meetings and public forums with local, county, state, and federal officials, cultural and public information events, campaigns and awards programs honoring low-income, minority communities for outstanding contributions.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (Weatherization) reduces energy costs for low-income households by increasing the energy efficiency of their homes, while ensuring their health and safety. The Program provides energy efficiency services to more than 100,000 homes every year. These services reduce average annual energy costs by $218 per household.

The Program prioritizes services to the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with children. These low-income households are often on fixed incomes or rely on income assistance programs and are most vulnerable to volatile changes in energy markets. High energy users or households with a high energy burden may also receive priority.

DOE works in partnerships with state and local-level agencies to implement the Program. DOE Regional Offices award grants to state-level agencies, which then contract with local agencies. Weatherization programs operate in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and among Native American tribes. Approximately 970 local agencies deliver weatherization services to eligible residents in every county in the nation. Since the inception of the Program in 1976, over five million households have received Weatherization services.

Beyond Head Start and child care programs, youth are vulnerable to a variety of issues. CAAs provide after-school youth programs that offer help with homework, social issues, family issues, peer pressure, anger management, and skills training. CAAs involve youth as peer mentors in after-school settings and provide inter-generational experiences. These programs work with job shadowing, mentoring, cultural trips, community service, and employment opportunities through job creation and summer employment.