Every day is a good day for community action. The Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Inc. strives to provide needed services to the community each day. The agency has been helping people to help themselves in Cayuga County for more than 40 years. The agency's mission is to assist people to achieve and sustain self-sufficiency and self-dignity.

The agency administers more than 20 programs including Head Start, Weatherization, Food Pantry, TASA (teen pregnancy prevention), Transitional Housing, Safe Haven, Wheels to Work, Essentials for Employment and the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP), that help families and individuals on the road to self-sufficiency.

To maximize program outcomes, the agency continuously works in collaboration with more than 40 community partners including the Cayuga County Department of Health and Human Services, the Seneca County Department of Social Services and the Seneca County Department of Health. It is only with the assistance of the community, that the agency is capable of providing such services to those in need.

To win the war on poverty, the battles must be fought each day. Through dedicated staff, volunteers and community partners, the Cayuga/ Seneca Community Action Agency is able to fight for low-income families throughout both Cayuga and Seneca counties. The agency makes its presence known throughout the community through a number of different avenues.

For example, every year in May, Community Action Agencies (CAA) across the country celebrate National Community Action Month by highlighting Community Action's success as they help people and change lives. There are Community Action Agency success stories in progress almost daily, but the National Community Action Month is the time when agencies step back and take stock of their progress opening doors and leading the way for 13 million low-income Americans. They honor program participants who've become self-sufficient, volunteers who've made hope a reality and staff who are making their communities a better place to live.

The agency enjoys rewarding collaborations with all segments of the community as we move toward our mission. The mayor of Auburn, Cayuga County Legislature and Seneca County Legislature have all recognized our annual celebration through a proclamation, or public declaration of National Community Action Month, during May in each area.

June marks the beginning of summer and the ending of another incredible school year. Our Head Start program year ended June 4 in Auburn and will end June 26 in Moravia. Daily successes in these classrooms are made possible through the hard work and commitment of staff, parents, volunteers and our children. Thanks for all you do.

Summertime always brings the excitement of our annual Taste for Community Action. This year's event features the area's best food, finest wine and most irresistible desserts from more than 25 of the Finger Lake's restaurants and wineries. The 13th annual Taste for Community Action will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 24, at the Holiday Inn in Auburn. When you attend this incredible event, it will be easy to be inspired by the spirit of abundance and generosity that is alive and well throughout our community. The overwhelming kindness and humanity of local restaurants and wineries who donate their time, talents and products to this event is truly amazing. Their commitment to making this fundraiser a success year after year could not be more overstated.

Taste for Community Action, the agency's largest fundraiser, raised more than $13,000 last year. All proceeds benefit the Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, a local non-profit dedicated to assisting low-income families reach self-sufficiency through our innovative programs.

With the prices of food, fuel, housing and other basic necessities getting more and more out of reach, the Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency sees more and more working families struggle to make ends meet. Isn't today a good day for community action?

“Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness - great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation and great joy.”

- Jim Rohn

Khalilah D. Mayes is the marketing and development director for

Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Inc. She may be reached at 255-1703 ext. 155