NOTE: There are currently 18 Community Action Agencies in Alabama. 

In Alabama, Community Action Agencies provided services to
163,828 low income individuals. Vulnerable populations served included:

47,365 seniors
45,629 people with disabilities
12,074 people who lacked health insurance
54,489 children

Nationally, of the 6.5 million families served by the CSBG Network who reported income, 82.7% were living at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Nationally, over 1,000 Community Action Agencies receiving CSBG funding provided services to 16.2 million individuals with low incomes.

CSBG Network Resources

For every $1 of CSBG, the AL Network leveraged $14.34 from federal, state, local, and private sources, including the value of volunteer hours.·

$12,280,136 in CSBG funds were allocated in support of local entities in Alabama.

The AL Network’s non-CSBG funding totaled $171,120,568.

The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) is funded through a grant from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is mandated that the funds be allocated to the community action agencies throughout the state. Currently there are 20 community action agencies located throughout the state with a presence in all 67 counties.

 

The Community Services Block Grant Act was enacted to assist low-income individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency. Services provided by the community action agencies vary based on the identified needs in the agency’s service areas.

 

The services provided are to enable families/individuals to accomplish one or more of the following objectives:

• To secure and retain meaningful employment
• To attain an adequate education
• To make better use of available income
• To obtain and maintain adequate housing and suitable living environment
• To obtain emergency assistance to meet immediate and urgent individual and family needs including the need for health services, nutrition, food, housing, and employment related assistance
• To remove obstacles and solve problems which block the achievement of self-sufficiency
• To achieve greater participation in the affairs of the community
• To enhance youth and family development, including after school child-care and youth mediation
• To provide an emergency basis for the provision of such supplies and services, nutritious foodstuffs, and related necessary to counteract conditions of starvation and malnutrition among the poor

In order to receive assistance, the applicant’s household income must not exceed 125% of the federally established poverty level.