The Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency is celebrating National Community Action Month, a nationwide occurrence held annually in May.

The agency will mark 43 years of providing services and administering programs geared toward helping low-income individuals and families to achieve economic security.

With our mission to assist people to achieve and sustain self-sufficiency and self-dignity, we are proud of what we've accomplished through the years.

Thousands of children have gone through our Head Start program, thousands of women have escaped violence because of our Domestic Violence Intervention Program, families have safer, warmer homes because of our Weatherization program, and our Transitional Housing and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program Shelter have provided secure and safe shelter for many families.

The agency's teen pregnancy prevention program, Healthy Families, Youth Services, Safe Visitation Safe Exchange, Car Seat program, and Baby Think It Over program are all focused on providing stability to help families succeed.

Our computer skills training program has helped open doors of opportunity for individuals to gain employment or to obtain a better job.

National Community Action Month is also a time to remind the community that unfortunately, poverty is a real part of life for many families and individuals in the communities we serve.

The agency's emergency assistance programs, food pantries, and homelessness program have seen a drastic increase in those seeking assistance.

With rising rent, gas and food costs, foreclosures, and other economic concerns, the number of families and individuals experiencing economic insecurity is increasing at a time when resources are diminishing.

In the month of May, as we draw attention to our successes, we also draw attention to the ever growing problems of poverty.

The Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency partners with the many other human service providers, faith-based organizations, public and private entities, school districts, and civic organizations to meet our mission.

The staff of this organization are the core of the agency. Our board of directors and policy council are the glue.

Our customers keep us focused.

We strive to help make life the best it can be for all those we serve.

Griffin is the executive director of Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Inc.