Community Action initially was only able to help a limited pool of community members during the early stages of the coronavirus but recently are discovering they can help more people who might be struggling.

Executive Director Alison Rumler-Gomez explains they are receiving CARES funding to be more than they anticipated and so that is allowing them to expand the scope of their assistance. She points out, the continue to focus on those that were current with bills before the pandemic started.

According to Rumler-Gomez, the CSBG program allows local entities to make decisions that best serve their communities. That allowed Community Action to focus on individuals and families that were greatly impacted by pandemic.

The extra $1-million does not go as far as you might think. Rumler-Gomez indicates they have helped out families with up to $10,000 past due rent costs.