Community Action Agency of South Alabama

Founded in 1965, Community Action Agency of South Alabama provides integral services to the community and assists those in need.  On a daily basis, the dedicated case workers meet with low-income individuals and families to perform an assessment on each client seeking assistance. These assessments provide valuable information on the needs of each client which helps to identify the client’s strengths and weaknesses (i.e, their budget management skills, and level of education and other pertinent information). This, in turn, helps to identify the immediate needs of that client. Through their individualized assessment, the agency can provide the assistance needed to help the client become self-sufficient through the following programs:

• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): This program assists low-income individuals and families with heating and cooling needs, which allows families to recognize the best uses of energy efficient devices, spending and appliances usage.

• Weatherization Program: This program provides energy savings, through repairs which help reduce the loss of energy and stop air infiltration. This program also assists in making minor roof repairs, replacement of windows and doors.

• Emergency Food and Shelter Program: This program helps with rent/mortgage, utilities, food and other emergency needs to help supplement the household of eligible individuals and families.

• Head Start Program: This program provides under-privileged and disabled pre-school children with age appropriate education, nutrition, and medical services.

• Pre-Kindergarten Program (Pre-K): This program provides effective, high quality, early childhood experiences that prepare participants for a successful transition into school. Also, as an alternative to advertisement, the Pre-K Program will encourage new clients to take full advantage of the IDA Program to help increase self-sufficiency through savings.

• Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) Program: This program provides very low income homeowners with repairs and rehabilitation to bring homes up to livable standards and the HPG Program will encourage new clients to take full advantage of the IDA Program to help increase self-sufficiency through savings.

• Homeless Prevention Rapid Re-Entry Program (HPRP): This program provides rent and utility assistance to low-income individuals and families who are homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless.

• Safety First assists in clean and safe conditions for people in need.  Some projects include water/sewer field lines, septic tanks and other projects affecting the health and safety of the community and program participants.

• Individualized Development Account (IDA) program was set up to help low-income people achieve self-sufficiency through both financial literacy and asset-specific goals of home ownership, college education, or starting a small business. 

Other programs and Services provided by Community Action Agency include:

• The Food Pantry (provides food to low-income individuals and families)

• Summer Feeding (ensures children receive healthy meals during the summer)

• Senior Awareness (provides a one-stop shop for all senior services)

• Hispanic Awareness (provides a one-stop shop for all Hispanic services)

• Summer Camp (provided scholarships to underserved low-income children)

• Uniform Program (provided scholarships to underserved low-income children)

• Youth Life Skills (provides life skills to the underserved low-income youth)

Community Action Agency’s management team provides administrative, programmatic, fiscal and technical support needed to operate successful. Cassandra Boykin, Executive Director, has over thirty years’ experience with Community Action Agency working with the under-served low-income population, as case worker, finance officer, and now CEO.

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