MCCA hosts round table to highlight success throughout McLean and Livingston County

Posted on July 30, 2018
Mid Central Community Action hosted U.S. Congressman Rodney Davis on Monday to talk about how they are helping those in McLean and Livingston County. (Blake Haas/WJBC)

By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – Despite questions surrounding state funding, Mid Central Community Action remains strong supporting those in need in McLean and Livingston County.

Davis said the Community Services Block Grant provides funds to help Mid Central Community Action.

CSBG funding supports projects that lessen poverty in communities, address the needs of low-income individuals, provide services and activities addressing employment, education along with many others.

Mid Central Community Action administers the Community Services Block Grant in McLean County that annually provides over $450,000 to help those in need.

“I want to see us work together. That is something that I have always done is working with both sides to address some of the funding issues this agency faces and Community Action face every single year,” said U.S. Congressman Rodney Davis, who represents the 13th District of Illinois. “We heard the success stories right here in Bloomington-Normal. Families being lifted up and out of poverty and into the work force so that they can teach others how to stay out of poverty in the future too.”

Davis added that Mid Central Community Action should be the first place someone should go if they are facing poverty.

“This is one of the first stops [that] anyone who is having issues with poverty should make,” said Davis. “It’s the local councilors and local agencies right here in McLean County, right here at this Community Action agency that can kind of lead you in all the directions that you need.”

With questions surrounding government funding, Davis said he will try his best to continue to get both parties together to help with funding.

“I want the locals here being able to use the federal dollars that we give them to really show the results to our own local communities,” said Davis. “As with the discussions that we had here [on Monday] with local foundations, it leads to more public private partnerships at the local level that then can reach more people and help more families.”

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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