Community Action Serving Greater Lowell
Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) is the Community Action Agency for the Greater Lowell area serving the city of Lowell and the seven surrounding towns including Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, and Westford. Agencies like CTI are designated as Community Action Agencies due to the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funds that they receive. CSBG funds have enabled CTI to develop a comprehensive array of services to meet the needs of low-income people and to fill gaps in services. The elimination of CSBG funds would seriously impact services that Community Action Agencies provide to low-income people here in Lowell, in Massachusetts and across the Nation.

How Has CSBG Helped?
Over 40,000 individuals and more than 18,000 families were served by Community Teamwork last year, a 10% increase from the previous year. These are low income families and individuals, some of whom are on fixed incomes, some who are working at low-paying jobs, and others who are struggling with unemployment or disabilities. Sixty-four percent of those served are Caucasian, 30% are Hispanic, 16% are Multi-Race, 12% are Asian and 6% are African Americans. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of those served are single parent females and 21% have not graduated from high school.

Many people seek help from Community Action Agencies because they are in crisis. Some are homeless or about to be homeless, some are hungry, some are without heat, some are in need of medicine or transportation to a medical appointment, and some are simply in need of clothing for their children. These are basic essential human needs that Community Action Agencies see each and every day. CSBG funds help Community Action Agencies to address these critical community needs in order to stabilize a family and lead them to other programs that can further help them on the road to self-sufficiency.

Initiatives Started, Saved or Maintained with CSBG funds:
YouthBuild: When the local YMCA could no longer support the local YouthBuild program, potentially eliminating a critical resource for at-risk youth in our community, they turned to CTI for help. Because of CSBG funds, we were able to allocate the resources necessary to prevent the program’s closure until additional resources were secured. Since that time, more than 3 million dollars have been leveraged from a variety of sources and more than 200 young men and women have been given a second chance to obtain their GED, receive vocational training, find employment, and give back tens of thousands of hours in community service becoming productive members of our community.

The Lowell Small Business Assistance Center is another example of the importance of CSBG to the greater Lowell community. The LSBAC grew out of a community process that identified a need to support local entrepreneurs, particularly new immigrants, as a means to revitalize the economy of this former mill city. The availability of flexible CSBG resources provided the community with leadership as the LSBAC got started and has supported the Center during difficult economic times. As a result, the Center has served 3000 individuals and has played an integral role in the formation and sustenance of over 100 small businesses. Most recently, CSBG funds have been leveraged to raise over $160,000 dollars to develop and support a microfinance program that will further support small business and enrich the local economy.

CTI’s Workforce Development Division began with CSBG dollars. Responding to a community request for additional training and employment supports for the entry-level workforce, CTI used CSBG funds to develop new training and job placement programs. An initial investment of less than $30,000 of CSBG dollars in 2008 generated more than ten times that amount the following year in state and local resources. Increasing returns on investment have been realized in subsequent years. More importantly, in the past six months alone, the new programs developed with these resources have educated and trained more than 350 individuals and helped nearly 100 unemployed people find work. Not only are these newly employed individuals not collecting unemployment or TANF benefits, they are now tax-paying citizens, providing an additional contribution to our local, state, and federal coffers.

Client Services and Integration is CTI's newest initiative. It began as part of the Community Action Access Points (CAAPs) pilot project funded with CSBG Special Projects money. The CAAPs approach is based not on “funding silos” but on assessing the needs of vulnerable individuals and families and making appropriate referrals.. CTI is better able to respond to client needs in an individualized and comprehensive manner that stabilizes households, and for those that are able, moves them along a continuum towards economic self-sufficiency. Client Services and Integration is a client focused, strength based system that serves clients in a more holistic and comprehensive way at all points of entry and improves communication throughout the organization.

What is the Impact of CSBG Funds on the Greater Lowell Community?
Community Action in Greater Lowell helped those out of work or underemployed secure jobs with sustainable wages through Education and Job Training.
• 102 completed Health Care Training
• 100 completed Job Readiness Training.
• 20 earned certification in Weatherization and Alternative Energy Training
• 11 completed Commercial Drivers’ License Training
• 20 enrolled in a Construction Management Certification Program
• 26 Immigrant Farmers started their own Farming Business
• 21 earned their GED and 15 entered Post-Secondary Education Programs
• 94 Unemployed or Underemployed Obtained Jobs

Community Action in Greater Lowell cared for hundreds of pre-school children so their parents could work through the provision of quality Early Education and Care.
• 600 infants and toddlers got a Head Start
• 492 school-aged children were cared for in nine city schools
• 293 children received care in Family Child Care homes.
• 1,300 children received nutritious meals and snacks while in care
• 5,859 Women, Infants and Children received nutrition education and food vouchers.

Community Action in Greater Lowell helped thousands of residents stay warm and safe during the cold winter months through Fuel Assistance and Energy Conservation.
• 12,000 households received Fuel Assistance that kept them safe and warm
• 294 homes were Weatherized
• 709 homes had energy related repairs and replacements

Community Action in Greater Lowell helped hundreds of residents avoid homelessness or obtain housing through Affordable Housing and Homelessness Services.
• 865 households were prevented from losing their housing.
• 463 homeless families and 242 individuals obtained permanent housing
• 120 households avoided foreclosure
• 210 completed First Time Homebuyer Classes and 36 purchased homes.
• 29 affordable housing units were developed with 52 more in the pipeline.

Community Action in Greater Lowell taught hundreds of residents how to manage their money better through
Financial Education and Asset Development.
• 697 individuals received financial education.
• 482 families had free tax preparation
• 39 individuals opened Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). Five purchased homes and three went to college.

Community Action in Greater Lowell benefited from the volunteer services of hundreds of senior citizens through Senior Volunteer Programs.
• 166,921 volunteer hours were donated by Senior Volunteers.
• 190 homebound Senior citizens were able to maintain their independence.

Without CSBG, virtually none of the above benefits would have existed to help the people of Greater Lowell. CSBG gave CTI the flexibility to meet the emerging needs of the Greater Lowell community. To enable us to continue to do this work, please take the following steps: