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Keep up to date on our program and agency updates

Mid Michigan Community Action Releases 2024 Community Needs Assessment

3/25/2025

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mid_michigan_caa_2024_cna_final.pdf
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Mid Michigan Community Action Agency (Mid Michigan CAA) releases the findings of its 2024 Community Needs Assessment (CNA), spotlighting the most critical challenges faced by low-income individuals and families across Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Mecosta, Midland, Muskegon, Oceana, and Osceola counties. Mid Michigan CAA has a track record of results, built on innovative, responsive, and efficient programs that are uniquely tailored to meet local needs. By leveraging resources and partnerships, Community Action enhances local impact and strengthens economic mobility for families.

​Empowering Communities Through Insight
Conducted every three years, the Community Needs Assessment gathers vital data on economic conditions, social services, and resource gaps, ensuring Mid Michigan CAA’s programs are focused on the most urgent community needs. The 2024 assessment, enriched by feedback from over 1,000 local survey responses and 8 community focus groups, along with data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the KIDS COUNT Data Center, provides a robust foundation for action.

Key Findings: Addressing Critical Challenges
The 2024 CNA reveals significant hurdles impacting residents across Mid Michigan CAA’s service area:
  • Housing Instability: 31% of survey respondents struggle to afford or maintain stable housing, and 42% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on rent. Youth homelessness is higher than state and national averages, affecting 2% of students.
  • Income and Employment Challenges: 14% of the population (about 70,300 people) live below the federal poverty level. Median household incomes are lower than state and national averages, with Clare County having the lowest at $47,793. Nearly half of survey respondents have less than $100 in their bank account.
  • Childcare and Education Barriers: Preschool enrollment is declining in some counties, and special education needs are rising. Additionally, 8% of adults lack a high school diploma, limiting their job opportunities.
  • Healthcare and Mental Health Access: The region has fewer primary care providers per capita than the state average. One in five Michigan adults report frequent mental distress, with many unable to seek care due to financial barriers.
  • Food Security: 50% of survey respondents have used a food pantry in the past two years. Muskegon County has the highest rate of food insecurity, with 45% of low-income residents lacking access to grocery stores.
  • Transportation Challenges: One in five survey respondents have missed work due to a lack of transportation. Car ownership is unaffordable for many low-income families, limiting their access to jobs and healthcare.
  • Community Connections and Social Networks: Limited economic connectedness and social capital hinder financial advancement, leaving some communities with fewer opportunities to thrive and grow.
  • Digital Access: 15,000 households lack a digital device, and nearly one-third of low-income residents do not have home internet access, limiting their access to jobs, education, and telehealth services.

Driving Impactful Change
“These insights deepen our understanding of the barriers residents face and empower us to craft programs that deliver real solutions,” said Mark Polega, Executive Director at Mid Michigan CAA. “From housing and income stability to food security and digital access, this data enables us to advocate for and implement services that truly meet the needs of our communities.”

To read the full report, download it today at www.mmcaa.org/cna. Discover more about our impactful programs and services at www.mmcaa.org, call or text 877-213-5948, or email [email protected].

Mid Michigan Community Action guides local residents on the path to self-sufficiency through empowerment, education, and community enrichment.
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Helping People, Changing Lives: Mid Michigan Community Action Celebrates Community Action Month

5/10/2024

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2024 marks the 60th year since the Community Action network was established to help American families and communities overcome obstacles to poverty. Over 1,000 agencies across the country are working every day to create opportunities and transform the lives of their neighbors, making communities stronger and helping families across the US thrive.

“Each May, during Community Action Month, we reflect on the impact Mid Michigan Community Action and our network has had on families,” said Jill Sutton, Executive Director of Mid Michigan Community Action. “Last year alone, we served 14,532 people from Muskegon to Bay City, and the network served over 15 million across the country with immediately needed services such as housing and food, and long-term solutions like weatherization and early childhood education.” 

Community Action Agencies serve America with life-changing services to help families achieve financial stability. All agencies are locally controlled and represented by the private, public, and low-income sectors of the community. “We are proud of our communities’ participation in the development and oversight of our programs,” said Sutton. “Their engagement helps us to be more effective in our approach by determining what our communities need.” 

To honor the commitment to community-led solutions, Mid Michigan Community Action is launching its triennial Community Needs Assessment. The assessment analyses Census data, labor statistics, and most importantly, community survey and focus group findings. To complete the Community Needs Assessment survey, visit www.mmcaa.org/cna. Details on the virtual and in-person focus groups are available through the survey, on the website, and across social media @MidMichiganCommunityAction. 
​
Mid Michigan Community Action is a member of the National Community Action Partnership and the Community Action network, which was born out of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Mid Michigan Community Action guides local residents on the path to self-sufficiency through empowerment, education and community enrichment.
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Mid Michigan Community Action Agency Conducts Community Needs Assessment

4/12/2021

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Mid Michigan Community Action Agency (Mid Michigan CAA) is conducting a comprehensive Community Needs Assessment (CNA) to determine how best to help low-income individuals and families.

The CNA examines where a community is at present and projects what needs it will have for the next three years. It helps Mid Michigan CAA decide what programs are needed and if any new programs may be needed in the future. As a grantee of the Community Services Block Grant, Mid Michigan CAA is required to perform a CNA every three years.

“After the rapid-fire changes of the last year including the pandemic, the flooding, and remote working, in addition to the regular evolution of our communities, the CNA will provide an invaluable insight into the needs of those we serve,” said Jill Sutton, Executive Director of Mid Michigan CAA. “We ask everyone who is able to complete the survey as the more comprehensive view we have, the more effective we can be.”

The CNA uses current census data, labor statistics, health survey data and most importantly, a community survey. Altogether this year’s CNA should be the most robust assessment conducted in several years. To complete the CNA survey, visit www.mmcaa.org/cna. The survey will be available until June 30th, 2021.

“Using the data we gather, we will be able to examine both which needs are a priority for local residents as well as why those needs exist to address them as efficiently as possible, furthering our goal to empower neighborhoods and eliminate poverty,” said Sutton.
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Mid Michigan Community Action guides local residents on the path to self-sufficiency through empowerment, education and community enrichment.
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In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
​
  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    [email protected]
    ​

This website is supported by Grant Number 05CH012316 and 05CH011635 from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of Mid Michigan Community Action Agency and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Head Start.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider
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