Community Action of Skagit County

Community Action of Skagit County was founded in 1979 in response to the President Lyndon B. Johnson administration’s prioritization of anti-poverty efforts in the 1960s. Today, as the county’s central hub of local anti-poverty and economic mobility efforts, Community Action of Skagit County leverages the support of hundreds of government, nonprofit, and private business organizations to deliver services, resources, outreach, and referrals to individuals and families in Skagit County.

The mission of Community Action of Skagit County is to help people improve their lives through education, support, and direct assistance while advocating for just and equitable communities.
Community Action of Skagit County is the primary provider of comprehensive human services to low-income and under-resourced individuals and families in Skagit County, and our team currently supports nearly 20 core services within eight collective impact areas:
1. Family Stability
2. Housing
3. Financial Stability
4. Employment
5. Food and Nutrition
6. Education and Literacy
7. Health
8. Volunteerism and Community Engagement

Community Action of Skagit County’s impact is both wide-reaching and deep, touching the lives of at least 1 in 3 people in Skagit County.

Community Action is a local, Skagit County-based 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization fully devoted to helping move individuals and families in Skagit County out of poverty and into prosperity since our founding in 1979. Our organization is unaffiliated with any government agency. As a member of the nationwide network of Community Action agencies established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, we play a leading role for the county at the nexus of anti-poverty and economic mobility efforts. Our long history, broad and deep service offerings, and unmatched expertise in the effective provision of social services optimally positions us in our ability to move individuals from poverty to prosperity.

We maintain a strong connection to our roots in the national Community Action movement, recognizing the inequities that contribute to poverty while working proactively and deliberately to address both its symptoms and causes. In that context, we are community-centered at our core. Community Action of Skagit County helps bring groups together around common solutions, and joins others to do more together than we can alone. To that end, Community Action of Skagit County leads numerous coalitions of community organizations, businesses, and neighbors working collaboratively to solve challenges, including: Asset Building Coalition, Community Resource Network, East County Advisory Committee, Latinx Advisory Committee, Skagit Latinx COVID Prevention Team, and the Volunteer Coordinator’s Network.

In 2021, Community Action of Skagit County helped stabilize the lives of thousands of people in Skagit County, providing vital support during an economically and psychologically difficult time for many families and individuals. . The Skagit Food Distribution Center processes more than 9,000,000 pounds of food annually which is distributed through 19 local food banks to serve 14,883 households monthly and deliver 2,566 food boxes annually. We prevented eviction for 476 households, and we helped 291 individuals obtain safe, affordable housing or temporary shelter.

In addition, Community Action of Skagit County provided comprehensive services that empowered 348 senior or disabled community members to maintain independent living. Community Action of Skagit County also helped 920 individuals meet a basic human need, warmed 1,668 households through energy assistance, and helped 632 individuals through case management. In addition, 3,844 moms, infants, and children received care and support through the Women, Infants and Children Nutritional Program.