Alabama Community Action Agencies

Alabama's Community Action Agencies are a statewide network funded by the Community Services Block Grant to help low-income families reach self-sufficiency. They are often the single best local phone call, because one agency touches many needs at once.

Eligibility is income-based: household income must not exceed 125 percent of the federal poverty level. If you fall under that line, one agency can address several problems in a single visit.

The services span the things that keep a family stable: help securing and keeping a job, attaining education, making better use of income, and obtaining and maintaining adequate housing. Agencies also provide emergency assistance for urgent needs.

There is more than crisis help. Programs include youth and family development, including after-school child care, and providing nutritious food to address food insecurity, so a family in a rough stretch finds several kinds of support in one place.

The network is genuinely statewide: 18 community action agencies with a presence in all 67 counties. One of them serves your area. Note that the state agency, ADECA, does not take applications; you contact your county's designated agency directly.

This same network delivers LIHEAP energy assistance and weatherization in each region, so if you are already working with your Community Action Agency on a utility bill, ask what else they can help with. Dial 2-1-1 to find your local agency.