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CREATING OPPORTUNITY. ENDING POVERTY.
"Energy * Housing * Food * Child Care * Education * Jobs
Asset Development * Healthcare
Need help? Take Action - Community Action!
Call us at 617-357-6086 or visit our Agencies and Services page to find your local community action agency. |
What's New
 A How To Guide For CAAs on Service Integration »
Community Action in the news: Serving More than 650,000 People in Massachusetts »
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In the News
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Attorney General joins with MASSCAP and legal partners to address foreclosure crisis
MASSCAP and its members are partnering with the Attorney General to implement a first in the nation distressed homeowner assistance program launched by the AGO in April: HomeCorps. HomeCorps is helping those faced with foreclosure seek loan modification or, if necessary, stable affordable rental housing as well as access other benefits they may be eligible to receive. The initiative is funded by resources from a nationwide settlement reached by 49 states and the federal government with 5 major banks.
Starting in September, 17 CAAs and two local partners serving all cities and towns in the Commonwealth will help households facing a foreclosure or, after foreclosure, to stabilize their lives through services and through access to rental housing. If you are facing foreclosure, please call the Attorney General's HomeCorps Hotline at 617-573-5333.
For more information please visit www.mass.gov/ago/homecorps.
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Do you need help filing your taxes?
Working people could access up to $6500 by visiting a Volunteer Tax Assistance (VITA) and accessing the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is a free service provided by volunteer tax preparers certified by the IRS.
Community action agencies offer free tax preparation from January through April of each year.
View a list of Community Action VITA sites.
MASSCAP supports and chairs the Massachusetts Alliance of EITC Coalitions. To join our roundtables, listserv, and training sessions, please contact Joe Diamond at joediamond@masscap.org or 617-357-6086.
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Get Help with Home Heating
Fuel Assistance helps people with low incomes keep warm in the winter. Fuel Assistance can help pay a portion of the cost of heating your home.
If your heat is included in your rent, Fuel Assistance may be able to pay a portion of your rent.
Find the Fuel Assistance agency for your town »
If your family size and income are less than the amount below, you may be eligible for Fuel Assistance.
| Household Size |
Annual Income |
| 1 |
$31,218 |
| 2 |
$40,824 |
| 3 |
$50,429 |
| 4 |
$60,035 |
| 5 |
$69,641 |
| 6 |
$79,246 |
| Over 6 |
Call for amount |
Go to full News listing >>
 Please consider donating to MASSCAP.
Your donation will help us continue to fight poverty and create opportunity.
Links to Other Web Resources
Featured links:
This site has links to many other resources on the Web, especially to sites of other organizations—in Massachusetts and across the nation— working on issues of concerns to MASSCAP. See Outside Links >>
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Program News
Financial Education Toolkit training now online
MASSCAP is pleased to announced the online version of the Financial
Education Toolkit - a resource which enables staff and case managers to
provide the right financial education information at the right time to their
clients in the context of the case management or service relationship.
You can view a 22-minute overview of the toolkit and the training on the toolkit. The complete online course to learn how to use the toolkit can be found at fle.masscap.org . The online course is a joint project of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care and MASSCAP and builds on an earlier version of the toolkit developed with the Institute on Assets and Social Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University with resources from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
Access the Financial Education Toolkit Training»
 The MASSCAP Weatherization Report. The place for news, information, and resources concerning the Weatherization Assistance Program throughout Massachusetts. Go to website. >>
National WAP News: Assistant Secretary of Energy Cathy Zoi congratulates CAAs on successful implementation of the Weatherization Assistance Program. See the video and blog at whitehouse.gov or visit the NCAF website.
Asset Development Information: For information on MASSCAP asset development activities, click here.
 
Recovery/Reinvestment Funding at the Local Level
Community Action Agencies are bringing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act resources to local communities and vulnerable individuals and families across the state. As described on the federal Recovery.gov website, the Act "is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century." Read more about the Act >>
MASSCAP is a proud Communities Count partner.
Massachusetts CAAs in Action
What do Massachusetts community action agencies do?
Over the past year, Massachusetts community action agencies:
- 3,053 Individuals obtained employment
- 8,039 obtained pre-employment skills/competencies
- 565 completed ABE/GED classes and obtained a diploma or certificate
- 24,597 obtained child care
- 66,761 familes (estimated) received emergency food assistance
- Over 180,000 households received fuel assistance
- 18,143 households in tax preparation programs identified a federal and/or state tax credit bringing over $30 million to taxpayers in Massachusetts
- 162 households opened an individual development (IDA) account
- 8,476 children completed pre-school and were developmentally ready to enter kindergarten of 1st grade
- 8,500 children were served in CAA-run Head Start programs
Find out more >> (PDF)
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To learn about services available from the Northeast Institute for Quality Community Action, please click here