The 2025 CAAP Summit brought together Community Action leaders from across Pennsylvania for two days of powerful learning, reflection, and reconnection. Held in Lancaster and online, the hybrid event explored the future of equity, leadership, and community transformation through inspiring sessions, honest dialogue, and unforgettable keynotes from civil rights icons Joan Trumpauer Mulholland and Loki Mulholland. From the After Selma documentary screening to deep-dive workshops on data, wellness, and inclusion, the Summit reminded us what’s possible when people, purpose, and passion unite to fuel change across Pennsylvania’s Community Action network.

Interview with Rachel Herman and Nicole Peterson, Union-Snyder Community Action Agency 

In an innovative move, Philadelphia's Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity is tackling the opioid crisis head-on by going door-to-door. This groundbreaking initiative aims to prevent fatal overdoses and raise awareness in neighborhoods facing rising rates. The city's proactive approach involves distributing vital resources, including Narcan, and initiating conversations about drug use directly with residents. This community-driven strategy sheds light on overdose hotspots often overlooked, emphasizing the need for open discussions and resources within families and communities.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, increasing access to affordable housing correlates directly with economic growth. Research shows that the shortage of affordable housing costs the American economy about $2 trillion a year in lower wages and productivity. Additionally affordable housing is the most cost-effective strategy for reducing childhood poverty, Stanford economist Raj Chetty found that children who moved to lower poverty neighborhoods saw their earnings as adults increase by almost 31%. Children in stable affordable homes are more likely to thrive in school and have greater opportunities to learn inside and outside the classroom. It is important we begin to understand how affordable housing strategies can be made in Pennsylvania.

Westmoreland Community Action announces groundbreaking Recovery FARM. The FARM will be a long-term recovery community where individuals will live after their initial detox and residential rehabilitation. This project is made possible by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to develop a feasibility study and implementation plan for expanding the current recovery-to-work ecosystem in Westmoreland County.