For the last four decades, Community Action Southwest (CAS) has worked to address the causes and symptoms of poverty in southwestern Pennsylvania by delivering services such as emergency assistance, housing,  family literacy and early childhood education.  We have touched tens of thousands of lives and helped countless people move up the ladder toward economic self-sufficiency.  But we haven’t yet lived up to our mission to eliminate poverty.

We continue to see persistent poverty in our communities.  CAS has engaged in a planning process that led to a simple but powerful conclusion:  we must be dedicated to moving people out of poverty and we must be very intentional about engaging our community in our efforts.  Our federal, state, local and private resources must be focused on that single goal.  We must re-engineer our organization so that we can effectively move people out of poverty.

Poverty exists in Washington and Greene County. 

Poverty costs everyone, children, families, the economy, individuals, human potential and society.  It ruins health and well being, steals hope, wastes human potential, denies children a stable home and hinders ability to learn.  Most importantly, it denies hope for today and tomorrow.   Many people do not believe we can end poverty, therefore, we do not invest enough people, energy and resources.  We make excuses like, it doesn’t exist and it’s not that bad.  But imagine if we lived in a community without poverty.
The mission of Community Action Southwest is to serve as the catalyst to mobilize the resources of the entire community, to enable families and individuals in southwestern PA to attain the skills, knowledge, motivations and opportunities to become self-sufficient.  Our vision for our community by 2020 is that:

• All people are valued, cared for and healthy, regardless of economic status.
• Education prepares all children to fulfill their potential and meet their future needs.
• All people live in safe, affordable, decent housing.
• People are skilled and committed to leading change and improvement in our community.
• All people have the skills and opportunity to work at family sustaining jobs.  
• CAS is the leader of community based strategies that end poverty.

CAS has adopted four strategies to help us reach that vision; they are education, leadership, community and agency.  (see the document below entitled It Takes YOU… for more information on our strategies.)

 
One goal, one way to end poverty… engage our community.  Poverty will end when enough people care.  CAS is engaging our community because, “It Takes You… to end poverty in our community.
 

 Documents:

Leadship Agenda to End Poverty Powerpoint (PPS)

Poverty Simulation Brochure (PDF)

Speak Easy Poster (PDF)

Training and Staff Development Brochure (PDF)

"What Can I Do?" Flyer (PDF)