Central Susquehanna Opportunities & Community Action Association of Pennsylvania
Every day, Community Action agencies uplift individuals and families by creating supportive environments where real transformation can take root. But what does it take to truly engage a community, beyond simply providing services? In this special episode of the Thinking CAAP podcast, we highlight the stories of two passionate leaders who are breaking down barriers and building trust from the ground up.
Beck and Heather sit down with Alexis Kindle, EARN Project Coordinator at Central Susquehanna Opportunities, and Matthew Moser, Community Engagement Manager at Community Action Association of Pennsylvania. Together, they offer insight into how Community Action work evolves from lived experience, data-driven innovation, and deep local connection.
Alexis Kindle shares her personal journey, from receiving services to leading programs that empower others. Her work spans economic mobility, mobile food pantries, and tackling nonprofit staffing challenges—all with a focus on creating welcoming, effective systems of support in Columbia, Montour, and Northumberland counties.
Matthew Moser reflects on his path from volunteering to leadership and his role in the PA Navigate initiative, which bridges access to resources for individuals and organizations statewide. He shares what it means to foster a true “community of Community Action,” where relationships, trust, and collaboration fuel lasting impact.
Together, their stories remind us that authentic engagement isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing it differently. Tune in for inspiration, strategy, and proof that community-centered innovation works.
Thinking CAAP Talking Points
[0:00] Introduction to Community Action Month
Beck and Heather introduce the podcast and discuss the purpose of Community Action Month.
They highlight the work of local agencies such as Central Susquehanna Opportunities.
[1:52] Personal Journey to Community Action
Alexis shares her personal journey of receiving help from CSO and later joining the organization to help others.
She emphasizes the importance of providing opportunities to those in need and raising awareness about Community Action.
[5:11] Impact and Data Tracking
Alexis discusses her role as the EARN project coordinator.
She explains the importance of tracking outcomes to showcase the progress of individuals and families served by CSO.
She highlights the myth-busting aspect of Community Action's focus on outcomes.
[8:35] Celebrating Community Action
Alexis highlights CSO's mobile food pantry program as a way to meet people where they are and provide fresh food.
She encourages advocacy and spreading the word to support and promote the valuable work of Community Action organizations.
[11:30] Reflection on Team Work at CSO
Alexis shares her gratitude for the hard work of her team at CSO.
She acknowledges the challenges they’ve faced and the positive impact on performance.
[12:46] Constant Improvement in Community Action
Beck and Alexis discuss the evolution and innovation in Community Action organizations.
They emphasize the importance of recognizing what doesn’t work and pivoting to better solutions.
[13:30] Thanking Alexis for Joining the Podcast
Beck expresses appreciation to Alexis for being a part of the podcast.
He invites listeners to stay tuned for future episodes.
[13:57] Introduction of Matthew Moser
Beck and Heather introduce Matthew Moser, a community engagement manager at CAAP and former employee of SCCAP.
They discuss his journey in Community Action.
[15:20] Journey into Community Action
Matthew shares his journey into Community Action from volunteering at SCCAP to joining CAAP.
He highlights his passion for the work.
[23:52] Passion and Drive
Matthew discusses his passion and drive for Community Action.
He highlights the importance of finding one’s community and how Community Action organizations can provide that support.
[25:28] PA Navigate Project
Matthew talks about the PA Navigate project and its impact.
He explains how it provides resources to community-based organizations and individuals in need across Pennsylvania.
[27:24] The Community of Community Action
Matthew emphasizes the sense of community within Community Action.
He highlights the caring and passionate nature of individuals working in these agencies.
[29:28] Sense of Family
The conversation explores the familial atmosphere within Community Action.
Matthew and the hosts discuss the warm and supportive environment created by these organizations.
[31:23] Closing Remarks
The episode concludes with expressions of appreciation.
The hosts reaffirm the positive and supportive nature of the Community Action network.
Transcript of Episode 12
00:00:00
Hey, everybody. Welcome to the ThinkingCAAP. We are here to talk a little bit about Community Action Month with some special guests that we're going to be interviewing over the course of the month of May to celebrate just the amazing work that our local agencies do. And so today with us, we have a special guest from Central Susquehanna Opportunities, one of our organizations that supports. Hold me, hold me.
00:00:20
Honest to this, Alexis. I want to make sure I get this right. I kind of sometimes forget a little bit, but Columbia, Montour and Northumberland counties. Yeah.
00:00:28
Yes. Yes. Cool. Awesome. Okay, fantastic.
00:00:31
So, yeah, we have Alexis here with us today. We're excited to have her. Also with me, my co-host, my other fearless leader in all things multimedia, Heather Holloway from Heather Holloway Media Services. Happy to have you here, Heather.
00:00:44
Oh, thank you so much. It is a pleasure to be here. Thank you. Beck and hey, Alexis. Hi, Heather.
00:00:49
Thanks for having me, guys. Absolutely. Yeah, we're happy to have you. All right, so we're going to jump right into the thick of things here.
00:00:55
And Heather, I'm going to turn it over to you to kick us off. All right, Alexis, I know that getting on a podcast can be a little unnerving, so we're going to start with a softball. I'm just going to lift one up, loft one up for you to hit a home run here. What is your role at Community Action? I am the EARN project coordinator.
00:01:13
So my program works with people who are receiving SNAP or TANF from the county and we help them get back into the workforce. Awesome. I love that. I think right away I'm going to just acknowledge that. Love what you do, appreciate so much what you do.
00:01:26
I think one of the things that's sometimes a little bit of a Mythbuster when we talk about Community Action is that our job is to not just connect people to services, but also ensure economic mobility and self-sufficiency long term. And I think your role really does embody that very much. So thank you for sharing that. Part of what we want to really get into today and over the month of May is helping people understand exactly why you do what you do. Because this work is not always easy.
00:01:52
And so can you tell us a little bit about why you decided to come and work for Community Action and specifically Central Susquehanna Opportunities? Tell us a little bit about. About why you. Why you do the work that you do. So, funny story.
00:02:03
I actually started as a customer, so thanks to cso, I was able to keep my housing and I was not evicted with my child. So that turned into me finding a job. Posting on Indeed for CSO for the same program that had helped me. So I started here as an ERAP, which is the rental assistance.
00:02:19
So. So I was front desk/ERAP support. And then through that, I've been able to work my way up to EARN project coordinator. So I'm here to help people, which I think we all are. But what's important to me is helping people have opportunities that my family didn't have growing up or that I didn't see other people having the access to.
00:02:38
So Community Action is kind of like a hidden gem, and if you don't know it exists, you don't know what to look for. So I think it's important to get the word out there and get people talking about it. Yeah, I love that. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, I love that so much.
00:02:52
You know what popped up before you asked that question, Beck, was did you find the role or did the role find you? And it sounded like the role found you. Yes. That all happened within like a week. Like, I found out that they were able to help me with my rent and my eviction.
00:03:06
And then within a week I found the ERAP posting. And it was just a very quick-moving cycle. And I feel like, honestly, this is where I'm meant to be. And the last two years have been very rewarding for me. So I'm very thankful for the opportunity CSO has given me.
00:03:18
Well, I just want to stop and acknowledge. Right. I think that this is your. Your story is similar to a lot of employees that work at Community Action. And I want to acknowledge that, I think in the world of human services, not just in Community Action, but human services in general, I think we find this a lot.
00:03:32
Right. Folks that were clients of the services that they're now working winin or. Right. Have grown up or experienced similar circumstances to the work that they do. And I just want to say out loud for people who are listening is that this is a.
00:03:44
It's a really important part of acknowledgement because through the intake process, we're listening to the stories of the clients that we're serving. And in some ways, right, We're going through the retraumatization process of. Right.
00:03:56
Thinking about what we've experienced. And that is. That's a different type of burden and work that I don't know that people can always appreciate. So I just want to acknowledge that and say thank you for all the things that you're doing because there's a process there, right.
00:04:09
That you have to continually think about. How this felt for me. And I say that in a. In a similar vein because I've, you know, experienced some. Some of the things that many of our clients have experienced growing up and even.
00:04:19
Even as an adult later in life. So thank you for doing the work that you do. Yeah. And a lot of my education was in early childhood, so, like, in that you practice, like, being that person you needed when you were younger. And I think that this has given me the opportunity to do that in, like, a larger capacity.
00:04:33
While I'm not working directly with children anymore, I get to help the families of the children, which overall does help the children because they're able to give a better life to them than they were for themselves. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Well, we're all scared little kids walking around. You know, we haven't left that body.
00:04:48
Everywhere we go, there we are. And so what a phenomenal person to have in your seat, taking care of the same exact person you were a few years ago. To be able to mirror that and to show life gets better. Yes. Here's the support.
00:05:03
Right. Oh, my cup runneth over. All right, Heather, I'm going to teach you to the next question. Yeah. All right.
00:05:11
So talking about, you know, what you do, what does your typical day look like? How many folks are you positively impacting? I mean, my goodness, I'm. I'm imagining the case. Loads are.
00:05:23
Are piled high. So take us through your day-to-day. So I'm going to give a lot of credit to my team. I work for more of the data entry, so I'm kind of behind the scenes. I get to track the progress they make.
00:05:32
But I do want to give credit. My team is fantastic. They meet the people where they are as a very individualized services, but keeping them motivated, giving all the love I can, and knowing who is best for what job is very important to what I do. I like to say that I know my team on a deeper level, and knowing exactly what motivates them helps them to motivate the customers. Appreciate that.
00:05:54
Well, and I want to. One of the things we talk a lot about on the podcast, and one of the questions we ask most of our guests is what myths are you busting about Community Action? So I want to recognize that you're talking about myths that you're busting, whether you realize it or not. So one of the things that sometimes people think about when they think about Community Action is that this perception may be that we don't understand outcomes or we don't track outcomes. And your job, frankly, is one of the most important jobs, because you're doing the data entry to showcase the outcomes of the families and individuals that we're serving collectively across the state and. Right. Similar folks across the country. And so really an important thing here that you're. You're doing that helps to track all of the progress
00:06:32
And the work that clients do and then the organization does on the whole. So really important job. Yeah, I was just gonna. I was gonna expand upon that because, you know, you guys are funded and there needs to be proof. Right.
00:06:46
Proof in the pudding. So that is a million percent. That is an incredible role that you have to say because of this, then that, and show that so that you can continue to get funded. Right. I mean, we don't want to gloss over that point.
00:07:00
Absolutely. Right, Absolutely. And right now, in particular. Right. Heather, I think that's a really important point because when we're continuing to try to advocate for our federal funding that.
00:07:08
That all of our agencies receive that Community Services block grant money, it's the. One of the things that we talk about. I was actually just in D.C. earlier. Earlier this week talking about this very fact.
00:07:17
Right. You're not going to find a group of nonprofits that understand outcomes more than what Community Action does. Part of it is like, we're federally legislated to do it because of the funding that we receive, and. Right. We also do a really good job of it collectively.
00:07:32
So we have more outcomes data that you can. Than you can possibly shake a stick at. I mean, it's. It's. Over the course of last year alone, we know that Community Action across the state of Pennsylvania touched more than 503,000 people's lives.
00:07:44
And part of the reason we know that and then know all this deep, other deep data is because of the work Alexis and some of her counterparts do. Right. So, yeah, can't say enough. Thank you for that. So part of what we want to get to Alexis, and we're just about done here, we're just going to.
00:07:59
We're just doing kind of some short episodes this next round in May to talk through some of these things. And so I want to make sure to give you an opportunity to say, what can we celebrate about your work or your agency's work? What are you really proud of that not maybe just you do, but your team does, but overall organization, what is it that you're just like, I am so proud of this thing.
So it doesn't actually relate to me, but something I'm really proud of CSO for is our mobile food pantry, so we constantly are finding new ways to meet people in the community where they are and helping them in their situations.
00:08:35
And I think just something that's important is that we're always, like I said, we're trying new things. We're not. We have the food pantry. We know we can have customers come and get food, but we can go to the customers and we can give them options. And it doesn't.
00:08:47
It's not as intimidating as them coming into a food pantry. So I like that we try to constantly do new things and meet people where they are and take their advice with those things.
Yeah. And that's a partnership, for those of you who are listening, that is between Giant Foods Geisinger and CSO. It was something that was really found through deep community needs assessment and some of the partnership opportunities that the executive leadership were exploring and so created a really remarkable partnership to bring not just food, but fresh food directly to people where they live.
00:09:17
Because transportation is also an issue. Right. In the counties and communities that CSO serves. So if you want to know more about that would encourage you, you can go to the CAAP.org that's caap.org you can go and find Central Susquehanna Opportunities information on our website and go to their website and learn a little bit more. But they're doing some, some really great work.
00:09:35
I love that you just highlighted that. I know it's on another episode. Megan Bair, who's the executive director of Alexis's agency, she talks a lot about that particular program, but really proud of the work that you all are doing in your service area there. That is one of the most awesome things that we do for me. And honestly, I got to volunteer on it, and it was one of my favorite work days.
00:09:55
I would spend every day on that if I could. And so for some context, Heather, it's literally a huge semi truck, refrigerated truck that drives around delivering that food for clients to be able to step into. Right. And select some of the fresh food that helps to supplement then their daily lives and helps to address then. Right.
00:10:14
Long-term healthier outcomes for that individual in a different way. That's beautiful. And you're talking about fresh food. I know. You know, I had a family member that was supported from our local food bank in northern Dauphin County.
00:10:27
And yeah. And you just, like you said, Beck, transportation, Alexis is always an issue, you know, for this community. And, you know, it's easy to get the processed stuff, the donuts and then this and then that. Right. It's great.
00:10:40
Like, like, yes, we need dessert, too, because we need to enjoy life. But fresh nutrition to help mind, body, soul, you know, like, that's. That's the work right there. So thank you so much. Mobile Food Bank.
00:10:55
That is amazing. Holy smokes. Here's one more question, too. I know we're keeping this short and sweet, but, you know, what can we do? What can the.
00:11:05
What can the. The audience listening do, help to promote mobile food bank or the amazing things happening at Susquehanna? Honestly, keep advocating, keep pushing the stigma of assistance, encouraging people, you know, to reach out for help when they need help and helping them to find where that help is, because, as I mentioned, it's a hidden gem. So if you know something, pass it along because that. That word of mouth does more than anything.
00:11:30
Yeah, absolutely. Anything else, Alexis, that you want to share before we wrap up here? Usually we say, you know, we're going to get to the huggy heart of the matter and what myths are you busting? But I feel like we've already talked about some of those things. So is there anything else that you want to share about the work that's happening at CSO or specifically the work that you're doing?
00:11:45
And if not, that's okay, but I want to make sure to ask the question. I'm going to talk about my team specifically for a second. So the EARN team, we have faced a lot of challenges over the past few years with staffing and just changes overall. But in the last year, we had a complete staffing change. And honestly, everybody who did stay, they've worked so hard to get our, like, our numbers back up.
00:12:04
So our performance is doing better. We're doing better as a whole. And I'm just very thankful to work for a team that wants to be a team. Yeah, I love that. I appreciate you sharing that.
00:12:13
I know that Megan and I have talked a little bit about just the evolution of the organization and happy to see you all working so, so great together and doing some remarkable work and really, to your point, being really innovative about solutions. So just like so many of our other agencies across the state, that deep innovation is always really remarkable to watch. And I think on episode seven, Jen Wintermeyer and I, the executive director of Tri County Community Action, talked a little bit about how they've shifted at different points. They recognized, to your point, something that wasn't working. They decided to stop doing it and pivot to something else.
00:12:46
And I think that's a really remarkable thing about Community Action. Right. It's not about always can we? Sometimes it's about, should we and it's that constant continuum, continuous improvement and saying, okay, you know what, this doesn't work anymore. We're going to.
00:12:59
We're going to stop doing this or knowing it's a duplication of services. And so, you know what? We don't need to do this. Somebody else is doing it better than us. And so we're going to shift to utilizing our resources differently.
00:13:09
And I think it's one of the most beautiful parts about our organizations that we have the fortune to serve here at the association. Amazing. All right, well, thank you again, Alexis, for joining. I know you know, we're a little nervous about first podcast, first podcast you've ever done. And so thank you for taking the opportunity to talk with Heather and I and spending some time with us today.
00:13:30
And thank you for our listeners. Please stay tuned for future episodes and continue to join us on the ThinkingCAAP. Have a great day, everybody.
Well, thank you so much for staying with us for this special episode of the ThinkingCAAP. We hope you enjoyed part one of this special podcast series.
00:13:45
So let's not waste any further time and move on to part number two with Matthewhew Moser.
What's up, everybody? Welcome to the ThinkingCAAP. So happy to be here with my co-host, Heather. Heather, introduce yourself.
00:13:57
Oh, my gosh, Beck, it is always a pleasure and a thrill to be here. I'm Heather Holloway, owner of Holloway Media Services and the Robin to your Batman. I appreciate you so much. Beck Moore, CEO here at Community Action Association of Pennsylvania. And we're here today with actually somebody who recently joined the CAAP team, Matthew Moser.
00:14:15
Matthew, who is one of our community engagement managers, but also a former employee of one of our amazing organizations, South Central Community Action Programs. Also, who happens to be our board chair, Megan Shreve, who's on another episode talking about her journey within Community Action. So, Matt, thank you so much for being here today. We appreciate you. Yeah, absolutely.
00:14:34
Thank you for having me. Of course. So we're here today to talk a little bit more with some of our frontline folks, those people who have been working in Community Action in celebration of Community Action Month. And so Matthew is one of those people that we wanted to lift up in some of his former work, somebody who's been really passionate about community action on the whole. And so we're going to kind of go through a couple of questions, Matt, and talk a little bit with you about some of your amazing work that you've done.
00:14:58
Yeah, sounds good. I'm excited to talk. All right, cool. Heather, kick us off. Yeah, you got it.
00:15:02
Well, first of all, Matt, congratulations. Well done. Well done on the new position with Community Action. It must be exciting. New challenges ahead, and.
00:15:11
And all the things. So congratulations. So we're now at Community Action, but where were we before? And how did we get here? Yeah.
00:15:20
So I'd like to say that I had kind of this happenstance into Community Action. Like, I fell into it in some way, but that was not the case for me. I went to a community college for my associate's degree, and through that community college, I volunteered at South Central Community Action programs. And it was immediate, like. Like a switch flipped or, you know, I just knew.
00:15:44
I knew that I loved the work that they were doing. I loved the people that were doing the work. It just. It all fit, right? And I had.
00:15:52
I applied for jobs at South Central Community Action, different jobs, three times. Was rejected three times, and for very valid reasons. It's all about timing, too, right. I'm nothing if not persistent. So the one job.
00:16:08
And like I said, all for valid reasons. I applied after I finished my associates and the hiring manager at the time was like, finish your bachelor's. Because I was debating and I had told him that, you know, maybe I'll go back to school. Maybe I'm done.
00:16:22
And he was like, I really think, you know, you should go ahead and finish your bachelor's. And I did. And when I finished my bachelor's in environmental biology, which is random, but I applied again for another position at SCCAP, and finally it worked out. I started at South Central Community Action Programs as a gleaning assistant for their gleaning program, which if people aren't familiar with what gleaning is, it's a food security programming that works with local farms and gathers excess, so decreases food waste, increases food security. And, yeah, I was super happy to join that team there.
00:16:57
Started as a gleaning assistant. Community Action is a whirlwind. I think. I think we all know that things happen very quickly. So went from a gleaning assistant to gleaning coordinator over one county that SCCAP oversees, and then eventually in.
00:17:11
Over to director of the project, which was just over two counties, Franklin and Adams County of the gleaning project there. So spent about three years at SCCAP. Really loved it. Love the people there. Still love the people there.
00:17:24
I'm actually going to a fundraiser for them on Friday. So it's. It's just fantastic individuals and so happy to continue to work in Community Action here at CAAP. So fun fact that I learned recently about Matt and some of our Onboarding conversations was that, like myself, he wanted to be a park ranger at one point early on in his career. I unfortunately never really got to live out that experience, although I was an outdoor educator for a little while.
00:17:50
But just interesting fun fact about the two of us that people wouldn't know otherwise. Yeah, I was telling Beck a little bit. I got the chance to be a county park ranger for about six months, Right. Leading up to COVID. Um, and it was not what I expected it to be.
00:18:07
Um, I am not an enforcer by any means of the word. And you do have to be an enforcer to be a park ranger. So much prefer the role I found myself in now. There you go. Just, just a little fun tidbit, something that people wouldn't necessarily expect.
00:18:20
Yeah, right. And you can always go as one is at Halloween. I mean, you know, you still live your dreams. You can still live your dreams. So, Matt, you went from being rejected three times to, in three years, working up to director.
00:18:33
Okay, great. From there. How did we get to CAAP? Yeah, so I had an opportunity about a year ago at this point to join the team at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. And it was a, it was a, an amazing experience.
00:18:47
They're fantastic people there. And it. I learned so much transitioning from a role, you know, overseeing two counties to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Central Pennsylvania Food bank serves. I should know it off the top of my head, but it's been.
00:19:02
I believe it's 26, right? I think it's. I think it's 26. 26 counties. Yeah.
00:19:06
They oversee 26 counties. And being able to get that experience, to work on that much larger scale was amazing. But knew deep down in my heart that I just, I belonged in Community Action. So I saw a role open up. Actually, Beck, I don't know if, you know, I saw two roles open up at CAAP and I applied for both of them just to see what happened.
00:19:26
One definitely fit better than the other, and I knew that, and I think Beck and the team knew that and that's the one that worked out, which is Community Engagement Manager here at CAAP, working on the PA NAVIGATE team, spreading the message of PA Navigate with community based organizations all over the state. So I'm curious, you know, having applied three times, clearly you wanted to be within Community Action the first time. Applying for two jobs for my organization, for CAAP here. Anything that surprised you in the, in the beginning of your time or things that you're like, you know what, this isn't what I expected in both and it could be in a good way or in a way that, you know, like about the, the intensity of the role and the work that that happens within Community Action. But anything in particular that you want to lift up?
00:20:13
Yeah, I mean, I think so. Community Action was my first real job out of college. It was my first nine-to-five full-time job. And realizing that, embracing the fact that we're all figuring it out, it was amazing at SCCAP and in Community Action in general and understanding that we're all taking on challenges as they come and we don't know what tomorrow is going to hold and we don't know what next week is going to hold. But being open and willing to adapt and change and move with the times as we need to was really what kept me and has kept is keeping me in Community Action.
00:20:49
I think getting too stuck in your ways, especially from a nonprofit perspective, you need to move to what the people need. And you know, that's, that's what Community Action does best. And what, what really shocked me because, you know, you think about, you know, when you're coming out of college and you have a job job now and everybody says like, oh, you know, your big kid job. Yeah, yeah, your big kid job. And you think it's going to be like this, these iron bars that you can't move and you won't have any say in, especially at the beginning.
00:21:17
But one thing great about, specifically about Megan Shreve, I can't highlight Megan Shreve enough is that I was a 22-year-old out of college and within those first six months she gave me the room to figure it out. And that was. I could not have asked for a better situation to just go in, be able to take on challenges, obviously with guidance, but not too much guidance. She wanted me to mess up. She wanted me to figure it out along the way.
00:21:45
And that was the best thing that I could have asked for. And I am forever grateful to Megan Shreve and the entire team at SCCAP. Thank you for, for allowing me to do that. Yeah. I mean, I think, Heather, this is something that you and I have talked about on former episodes, about the opportunity for our people to fail safely and try new things.
00:22:01
You find somebody's strength and you really allow them to try to thrive within that strength and help them to build confidence in that strength. That's really what I hear, Matt. Right. And I think a million percent. Megan is such a remarkable example of strong leadership within our network that shows that.
00:22:17
And I'm not just saying that because technically she's my Boss, as our board chair, I'm saying that because I really believe that about her as a human. And she's just, if you listen to her episode, she's just such an authentic person in what she shares, the way that she shares it. There's just something, something different there. And so I think anybody who's listening, who's early on in their career and trying to figure out what's next, finding those leaders who will believe in you, it. There's an immediate difference in workplace culture that is formed in that type of experience.
00:22:48
Right. And more often than not, when we're new managers, we learn what not to do rather than what to do. And so what a really remarkable experience that you, you had to work for Megan and, and get to have that modeled for you and grow under that type of leadership because certainly not everybody's first experience right out of college, right? Yeah, yeah. As a young little 22-year-old, right.
00:23:11
Coming out of college or shoot. 21-year-old. Yeah. I had just turned 21. Yeah.
00:23:16
Get my first job, my real-world job right in radio. And the guy's cursing at me and he's literally like walls built, you know, to keep me in and not flourishing. And it, and it really kind of sucked the joy out of what I was doing. I love to do what I was doing, but not for the person. So to be so young and impressionable.
00:23:37
Is that the word I'm looking for, to have that freedom? You know, how do you build muscle? You stretch it, you break it. But then you have to recover and be supported. And it, you know, sounds like your director was like, yes, go out there, flex, you know, stretch, recover.
00:23:52
You have a safe space here. I love that so much. At 22, you're so young. How do you know? Like, you're like, this is it.
00:23:59
Well, I'm getting up there now 25, so. Oh, boy. Watch out.
00:24:07
Over the weekend, we were at the greenhouse with my family and there was this little girl walking around, and she walked up to me and said, “Hello, old man.”
00:24:18
Okay, I see you, little girl. If you're, if your parents are listening right now, thank you for that experience. It was great. She couldn't have used wise? Yeah, yeah, no, old man.
00:24:27
It's, you know, my, my kids call me an old man too. So it's, it's fine. But, so, yeah, I mean, but I think, I think, Matt, I think you're someone who, I know in our limited conversations that we've had, you know, since getting to know you a little bit now, working better, you know better working at CAAP. But I think one of the things that Megan really expressed to me is just your passion. And you know, I do want to reiterate what Heather said there.
00:24:51
Right. Like to really know what you're passionate about and to be able to explore it and now continuing to do it and now on a larger scale. Right. You're talking about, you're talking organizations across the state of Pennsylvania. It's just a really, it's very telling about who you are, your commitment, your passion, your drive, your ambition.
00:25:07
And so I just, I'm really excited to have you as a part of our CAAP team. I know I've said that to you before, but I'm going to reiterate that now. You know, I just. You bring a really great perspective and a lot of really amazing skill sets to the team. So I appreciate that you're here here with us.
00:25:21
Thank you so much. And let's talk about that a little bit. Beck. So what are we doing now? You say you do about PA navigate?
00:25:28
So we're trying to inform folks about PA navigate, but what else? Let's celebrate some of the awesome stuff that you're doing now at CAAP. Yeah. So really just outreaching to community-based organizations across the state, being able to provide them resources, but also through the PA Navigate project. Not only is it a resource to those organizations, it's a resource to everybody.
00:25:46
You know, actually this just happened in my personal life last week. Somebody reached out to me because they know I'm in work in nonprofits and they had a. An individual who was struggling with some housing situations and they asked me, you know, what can we do? You know, they, they don't live around here. They.
00:26:03
And I immediately was on PA. I sent them PA Navigate links for their zip code and was like, just start putting in referrals, see what works out. And being able to immediately, both for in my personal life and in my work, being able to provide those resources both for the individual and for the organizations is. It's amazing. It's why I love my job here and the PA Navigate again, providing all that information at the touch of a button and all in one place.
00:26:32
You don't have to go to five different websites to see five different applications and, and then from the organizational side, the tools that it provides organizations to be able to manage the referrals that they get and manage the individuals that are coming in the door. It's so beneficial and it saves so much capacity. And I think we all know that, you know, nonprofits are more than ever right now, struggling with capacity and upkeeping with the need. And this is a great way to provide them resources to support them in that. Yeah, Beck, you got a good one here.
00:27:03
I know, I know. Look, when I saw he applied, I was like, yes. I don't. I mean, do I. Do I have to interview somebody?
00:27:08
I mean, I'm already. The box is checked for me. Yeah. So my only other question for you, and would love to know, when you think about, you know, your experience, what surprised you? What's.
00:27:24
What's. What's the one thing that you wish more people understood about the world. World of Community Action on the whole? We talk about it, like, what. What myths are you busting about Community Action?
00:27:33
But I think a little bit of a different lens here. Like, what's the one thing that you wish people. People knew about the amazing network of organizations that. That we work with? Yeah, yeah, I've thought about this a lot because I do listen to the podcast, and I.
00:27:47
I think about it, you know, that that's a question you always ask is what myths are you busting? And this is slightly different. But I think about just in my personal life, and I think. I think one of the most important things you can do as a person is find your community, whether that be. And community means different things to everybody.
00:28:04
But finding your community, whether it's, you know, your church or your sports team that you do intramurals with, or, you know, your friends that you go to the bar with, whatever it might be, finding your community of people who are there for you when things get a little rough, and leading this to Community Action. What I think some people don't know is they have a community, whether or not they know it or not. They have a community that's a block down the street or a phone call away, because each and every one of those Community Action agencies provides that community for you, whether or not you feel like you have one, you absolutely do have one. And just getting connected with those individuals. The people who work in Community Action are unlike any other bunch that I've ever met.
00:28:44
They are so passionate and so caring. And again, even though you might not know these people, they treat you like they've known you for 40 or 50 years. You know, it is. And I really learned this just to give another shout-out to some SCCAP team members. Lisa Beaver, the director of the food pantries at South Central Community Action Programs, does this better than anybody I've ever seen.
00:29:07
Treating people like she's known them forever, and treating people like she would treat her family like no matter who walks in the door. And that exists across the board in Community Action. And so that's the one thing I would say is even if you feel like you're alone or you feel like you don't have a community, you absolutely do. And that's with your Community Action agency. I love that so much.
00:29:28
And it's one of the things that, you know, during the interview process was shared with me is that Community Action as a family and right there was I was coming from outside of the Community Action world and so was I going to be able to replicate that kind of sense of environment with the. Within the membership organization that supported our agencies. And I think overwhelmingly from the get-go, I felt really embraced and as a part of that family and have continued to feel that way. So I know in my own experience, I have felt that not as a recipient of services, but as somebody who works alongside of our amazing organizations, just how people treat each other. It's just, it's a really.
00:30:06
I say this on the podium every year at conference. It's just such a nice group of people. And I say that truly, truly they are. And Heather, you've got to experience a lot of our folks from these podcasts and from being a part of our conference as well. Well, and not only that, but being invited to speak in front of these different groups around Pennsylvania because of the conference.
00:30:24
I have not met a stranger yet. The love and support and care from. From your folks, you're absolutely right. I adore meeting CAAP and agency members. I adore it because you just feel so good.
00:30:39
I think are here to serve. That's the important thing, Heather, is strangers don't exist in Community Action. You don't have strangers, you know, you have people you haven't talked to yet, but they are absolutely not strangers. So it and Beck, like you were saying, that is not just from the people walk through the door. That's on the employee level.
00:30:58
Like the care and respect and treating every individual as an individual, whether that be the director of your program or the person walking through the door needing rental assistance or whatever it might be. Understanding that they are a full person and treating them as such is something that Community Action does, right? Yeah. Yeah, I love that so much. Well, Matt, I appreciate you taking the time today to chat a little bit with us and to our listeners.
00:31:23
I hope you've enjoyed hearing another individual talk about their journey within the work that we do and you know, hope that you tune in again for the next episode of the Thinking CAAP. Heather, always a pleasure to be co-host with you. Oh my gosh. Thank you so much, Beck. Always a pleasure to be here.
00:31:38
And Matt, I'll, you know, I'll see you tomorrow, man. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Bye, everybody. Thank you.
00:31:45
Bye.
00:31:49
Thank you for being a part of this episode of the Thinking CAAP. Check the show notes for resources and links to other episodes. And don't forget to subscribe and follow to be notified when new episodes are released. If you have any Community Action questions you'd like Beck or one of our local experts to answer in a future episode, please email your questions about Community Action to info@theCAAP.org - subject line: Thinking CAAP.