By Heather Cross 
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Coming to the decision to pursue the Certified Community Action Professional certification, as many things in my life, came through a twisty-turny path. As is the case with others I have heard from, my career path did not start with any connection to Community Action. My positions have mostly been in accounting and finance and have included a short tenure at the IRS, many years as a casino auditor in Las Vegas, and a manager for a conservation district in rural Colorado. None of these positions exposed me to the arena of community action in any way, shape, or form.  

A few years ago, I needed a change and applied for a part-time position with El Paso County as a grant specialist for CSBG. I did a bit of research for the position, which provided a small glimpse into community action, and how individuals serving in this arena were making meaningful impacts. I was intrigued. My deeper education began when I was offered the position and began learning about the CSBG program, and the community action movement. I was excited to be starting a path into such a movement. In the past few years, I have learned a lot about poverty and those who tirelessly fight it.  

I recently heard about the Certified Community Action Professional certification program. As I looked into what that program entails, I found that it provides an opportunity to learn even more and become a part of the poverty fighters across this country. So, I submitted my application and just received the email confirmation that I have been accepted into the program. I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge and gaining a deeper understanding of how I can be a small part of a big movement seeking to improve the situation of so many individuals who just need a hand to become self-sustaining.  

Seventeen years ago, I had graduated with my Master’s Degree in International Studies from the University of Denver and I was searching for a career that would continue to foster my sense of duty around public service and making the world and the United States a better place. A position I applied for was for providing outreach to neighborhoods in Adams County, Colorado through a federal funding source that I was unfamiliar with, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). I was very fortunate to be hired for the position, and so started my Community Action journey that led me to my Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) certification in 2019. 

​As I quickly learned about CSBG, its history, purpose, and mission, I was awestruck that I had found what I was looking for, a chance to make a difference and to be a part of America’s Anti-Poverty Network. I attended state, regional and national Community Action Conferences and encountered a network and a collective of individuals that believed what I believed, that we can do better for those experiencing poverty. I learned the Promise of Community Action, that “Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other”, and it resonated with my core being.

As my career in Community Action progressed, I continued to learn more about the history of poverty in America, its causes and conditions, and how we as a country have identified core values around inclusiveness, participation, and building thriving communities for all that embodies the hope of Community Action. This was further amplified when I finally decided to become a Certified Community Action Professional in 2018, a decision that was long-coming, and that ultimately I wished I had made much earlier. Studying to become a CCAP gave me insight into how the federal government had sought to address generational and systematic poverty and a lack of influence and involvement in human and social services programs by the individuals and families that were experiencing its affects. I learned the Community Action Code of Ethics and how we as Community Action professionals have an incredibly high standard of integrity by which we have been granted great trust from the community to operate in the best interests of those experiencing poverty in our communities. 

The CCAP process, my involvement in learning groups to prepare for the examination, the amazing leadership, teaching, and guidance of the CCAP network and professionals that assisted me throughout, and the incredibly important and interesting deep dive into the history of poverty in modern America has fortified my own personal and professional aspirations for American society higher than I ever could have imagined. In many ways, the CCAP process reinforced what I already knew to be true, and in many ways the CCAP provided me with the knowledge, experience and tools to be even more steadfast in my dedication to eradicating poverty in America.  Almost every day I ask myself, “What would a CCAP do?”, and it guides me to continue to ground and center myself in doing good for others through, and with, others.

Josiah Masingale
Executive Director, Colorado Community Action Association
CCAP 2019; NCRT

Twelve years ago, I found myself unemployed, on the verge of losing my home to foreclosure and wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life. It felt like none of my experience, degrees or training were providing any real value as I looked to figure out my next steps. 

Through some partnerships I had created, working for a nonprofit in Castle Rock, I had been serving on the Tripartite Board for the previous three years. We had just completed our Community Action Plan and had decided to use our CSBG funds to hire a part time Community Navigator to strengthen our local network of care. Little did I realize how this would change my life.
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Fast forward about 6 months, I was still struggling to find steady employment. I was working a number of part time and odd jobs, just trying make ends meet. I was able to sell my home to avoid foreclosure but had no income to secure a new placed to live. Then, one evening I received a phone call from a friend. 

“Remember that Community Navigator position we created through CSBG funds 6 months ago? We just posted the position. Would you be interested in applying for the job?”

Well, that phone call changed my life and altered the trajectory of my career. A few weeks later I had a new opportunity, a cubicle, and the responsibility to strengthen the system of care in my community to support our vulnerable residents.
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I will tell you this, on the surface, there was nothing I learned in college or grad school that was going to help me. I had no experience in social work or grant management. I barely knew how to write a formula in excel, much less generate an annual report or create an action plan. What I did know is that I had an opportunity to help and make a difference in people’s lives. I just had to figure out what I was doing.

Being engaged in the work of CSBG, learning from my peers, and studying the rich history of the Community Action has been instrumental to my personal and professional development. When I started in my new role, I barely knew what CSBG stood for, had no clue what Community Action meant or even what a CCAP was. 
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I want to use this space over the coming months to share what Community Action and being a Certified Community Action Professional means to me. Each of our stories is unique but, I am hopeful that in our common desire to see people’s lives transformed, you will be encouraged. I hope it sparks a renewed desire for you to learn more, serve more and that together, we can help change lives!