Like us on Facebook            Follow us on Twitter             View our videos on YouTube
Join Our Mailing List!
CAAP Update

CAAP Update provides regular information on items of interest to Community Action agencies in Pennsylvania.

                                                      October 25, 2013
In This Issue
SNAP Benefits to be Decreased
Annual Conference Information
A Major Need
Career Opportunity
CAAP Releases 2012-13 Annual Report
CAAP Member Celebrates 47 Years
Weatherization Webinar Planned
Circles Continues to make a Difference
Adequate Funding for SFPP
Slow and Steady
CAAP Quick Links
 SNAP Benefits to be Decreased
On November 1, the SNAP/Food Stamp benefit boost created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ends. Federal law requires a decrease in monthly benefits for everyone getting benefits.

The reduction is about 5.5 percent of the maximum allotment, so the amount of the decrease depends on the household size. For example:

Household Size Monthly Benefits Lost
1 person - $11
2 people - $20
3 people - $29
4 people - $36
 

People getting the minimum benefit will see only a decrease of $1, from $16 to $15.

SNAP is also being targeted for reductions through the current debate over a new $500 billion Farm Bill. Currently, farm bill has been held up over a dispute between the two chambers. The House has endorsed up to $4 billion in annual cuts to SNAP, while the Senate farm bill would cut $400 million a year. The White House has threatened to veto the House bill.

  

On Wednesday, October 30 the first public meeting for the 2013 Farm Bill conference committee will be held. The agenda for the meeting of conferees will include opening statements and discussion of H.R. 2642.

The Senate conferees include:
Democrats:
  •  Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee
  •  Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
  •  Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
  •  Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
  •  Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
  •  Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  •  Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Republicans:
  •  Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee
  •  Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS)
  •  Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
  •  Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)
  •  Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND)
The House conferees include:
Republicans:
House Committee on Agriculture conferees:
  •  Rep. Frank D. Lucas (R-OK), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee
  •   Rep. Steve King (R-IA)
  •   Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)
  •   Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL)
  •  Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)
  •  Rep. Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA)
  •  Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA)
  •  Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)
  •  Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL)
  •  Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD)
  •  Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA)
  •  Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)

Leadership conferee:

  •  Rep. Steve Southerland (R-FL)

House Foreign Affairs Committee conferees:

  •  Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman
  •  Rep. Tom Marino (R-PA)
House Ways & Means Committee conferees:
  •  Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), Chairman
  •  Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX)
Democrats:
House Committee on Agriculture conferees:
  •  Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), Ranking Member of House Agriculture Committee
  •  Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
  •  Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA)
  •  Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN)
  •  Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR)
  •  Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)
  •  Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA)
  •  Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-CA)
  •  Rep. Filemon Vela (D-TX)
Leadership conferee:
  •   Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
House Foreign Affairs Committee conferee:
  •  Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member
House Ways & Means Committee conferee:
  • Rep. Sandy Levin (D-MI), Ranking Member
 Annual Conference Information
Really? We are talking about the CAAP annual conference already? Isn't that in April?
 
Planning for the CAAP conference begins long before themes and logos are created or registration websites are live. The conference committee starts searching for keynote speakers, putting together workshop outlines and soliciting for exhibitors and sponsors a year before anyone ever sets foot on stage.
 
Crunch time is here for two parts of the conference planning - finalizing workshop speakers and self-sufficiency award nominees. Download the Call for Presentations form and submit a workshop proposal - deadline is November 15.
 
Nomination forms for the 17th Self-Sufficiency Awards are due next week on October 30. Download nomination material.
 
Sponsors and exhibitors are an important part of the conference. Download the Invitation to Exhibit and pass the information onto your vendors and partners so that they can promote their valuable products and services.
 A Major Need

The National Community Action Foundation (NCAF) is in major need of donations for its operations and for CAP-PAC.

 

For longer than one can remember, NCAF has been the front line protector of NCAF Community Action, CSBG, Weatherization and LIHEAP. The legislative struggles overcome in the past are because of the tireless efforts of NCAF.

 

Please donate today and ensure the continued efforts of NCAF.

 Career Opportunity

STEP, Inc. is looking for a full time Service Navigator Director. Full details can be found on the CAAP employment page.

 

Have a job posting for your agency? Send it to Joe Ostrander to have it listed on the CAAP employment page and distributed through CAAP's social media outlets.

 

CAAP Releases 2012-13 Annual Report

The CAAP 2012-13 annual report and CSBG summary report for FY 2011 is now available for download from the CAAP website.
  
The document is two reports in one. The first section is an accounting of the Associations activities and accomplishments for the 2012-13 operational year. The second section of the publication is a summary report of Community Services Block Grant funds utilized in Pennsylvania for FY 2011. It provides the number and characteristics of clients served at individual member agencies.

Download the 2012-13 CAAP Annual Report & CSBG Summary.

 

CAAP Member Celebrates 47 Years

CAAP member agency, STEP, Inc., celebrated 47 years of serving the community and low-income families on October 17. Watch STEP's 2013 Year in Review video to see a the impact they have been making in Lycoming and Clinton counties.

 

Congratulations on your sapphire anniversary.

 

Weatherization Webinar Planned

The National Association for State Community Services Programs is hosting the free webinar Future of WAP for 2014 on Wednesday, November 6 at 2:00 p.m.

 

With the government shutdown behind us, there are just 90 days until the next funding resolution deadline on January 15th.  What does this uncertainty and lack of a "regular" budget mean for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)? 

 

Mark your calendar now to join the interactive webinar on the Future of WAP in 2014.  The discussion will include the programmatic impact of low funding levels, the political challenges, the views of our champions on Capitol Hill and will allow time for questions.

 

Look for registration details very soon and please plan to join us on November 6th for this important webinar.

 

Circles Continues to make a Difference

CAAP member the Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County coordinates the Circles program in in Lancaster County. Read the news article about how Circles is already making an impact in Lancaster.

 

Adequate Funding for SFPP

CAAP has signed onto a letter of support adequate funding the State Food Purchasing Program (SFPP) for FY 2014-15. The letter is requesting a funding level of $21 million for SFPP, and increase over the current $17.3 million.

 

View and sign onto the letter.

 Slow and Steady

The Labor Department released a disappointing, but much anticipated, unemployment report Tuesday morning. Economists were expecting a higher rate of growth than what the report detailed.

 

Unemployment dropped only .1%, now residing at 7.2%, and just 148,000 jobs were added in the month of September.  The report currently does not show any signs of weakness in the economy, but the numbers may be a little out of date. Next month's report should allow for a more complete picture of the economy and hopefully show a faster rate of growth.

 CAAP Quick Links 

CAAP Update Archives  

Community Action Association of Pennsylvania

National Community Action Foundation
Community Action Partnership

 
CAPLAW 
 
PA Headstart Association 
 
US Census Bureau Poverty Information 
 
PA General Assembly 
 
US Senate  
 
US House of Representatives 
 
US Department of Health & Human Services
 
PA Department of Community & Economic Development

 About Us
Community Action Association of Pennsylvania
222 Pine Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
717-233-1075
www.thecaap.org
Find us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter

This newsletter is financed, in part, by a CSBG grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development.