May is Community Action Month, a time when we celebrate the impact that Community Action Agencies across the country make for individuals and families. Every day, Community Action touches lives and helps to lift people up by building trusted relationships and offering life-changing services. Staff work hard every day to help others get onto—and stay on—pathways to self-sufficiency.
Our Promise:
To change people’s lives, embody the spirit of hope, improve communities, and make America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.
This year marks the 58th anniversary of the Community Action Network’s founding, helping American families and communities to overcome poverty. Over 1,000 agencies across the country are working every day to create opportunities and transform the lives of their neighbors, friends, and loved ones, making communities stronger and helping families thrive.
Community Action Marin is a proud member of the Community Action Network. The agency will commemorate 56 years helping people across Marin County to achieve their dreams. In 1967, the Marin County Board of Supervisors designated Community Action Marin as the county’s official anti-poverty agency, with a mandate to work to eliminate the causes and consequences of poverty in Marin County. We are proud to carry that mandate forward today as the largest non-profit social services provider in the county.
Our Mission:
We make it possible for people in Marin County to achieve well-being by providing the education, mental health, and vital services they need. Together, we break down the barriers that get in the way of fair and lasting change in service to better outcomes for all.
“Each May, during Community Action Month, we reflect on the impact that Community Action Marin has had on families and individuals,” said Chandra Alexandre, the agency’s CEO. “Last year we provided incredible support to our community. It takes an incredible team, and we’re grateful to have amazing staff, volunteers, and community partners in this hard work.”
In 2021, the agency provided $320,000 in direct cash assistance to 640 families and individuals, $1.8 million in rental assistance to over 1,200 families and individuals, and $570,000 in energy assistance to over 890 families and individuals. Community Action Marin also fed over 500 families daily through its year-round food farm and distribution program.
Whether neighbors in Marin are experiencing a temporary setback or can’t access affordable housing or childcare, too many struggle to achieve a sustainable quality of life. Too many are just a paycheck away from hardship. We believe that everyone should be able to take care of themselves and their families—and have an equal opportunity to thrive.
We are proud to stand with the Marin communities of low income and others marginalized by systemic oppressions to be a leader in the work of creating racial and economic justice.