HOULTON, Maine — U.S. Senator Susan Collins received Maine Community Action’s 2016 Star of Community Action award Tuesday morning at the Aroostook Community Action Program Center (ACAP) in Houlton.
Kara Hay, president of the Maine Community Action Association Board of Directors, presented Collins with the award, which recognizes a person who has advocated for or defended low income people in the face of serious challenges and in so doing has made a significant difference in the lives of Maine’s most vulnerable citizens.
Collins was named as the award recipient back in May, but was unable to attend the ceremony. Also receiving the award was Connie Sandstrom, the former executive director of ACAP for more than two decades. Sandstrom was also in attendance for Tuesday’s presentation.
“Maine’s senior senator, Susan Collins, has made the support of low income people and the programs that assist them, a true priority,” Hay said. “As a result, our region and entire country owes her a debt. Her success is no accident. Sen. Collins’ work effort is legendary as she never missed a roll call vote — more than 6,000 in a row. She succeeds in highly partisan environments by consistently seeking bipartisan solutions. We feel you are a true star of community action.”
“I so appreciate the wonderful work that our community action agencies do throughout our state,” Sen. Collins said. “I have worked very closely with Penquis (Community Action Program) and ACAP and very much appreciate the advice you have given me over the years as I seek to craft legislation and secure funding that really makes a difference in the lives of low income families throughout Maine.”
Sen. Collins discussed her bipartisan Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act, legislation she coauthored with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) that proposes a new, multigenerational approach to fighting poverty. She also expressed her continued support for programs such as LiHEAP, which helps low-income families with heating assistance during Maine winters.
“I started speaking with Sen. Martin Heinrich about how we could better coordinate and improve the assistance we provide to disadvantaged or low income families to help them become self-sufficient,” Collins said. “It’s our goal to make sure that children who are born in poverty have every opportunity to grow up and have a good, fulfilling life.”
Collins said the duo looked back to when President Lyndon B Johnson declared war on poverty more than 50 years ago and discovered a disturbing piece of data.
“The poverty rate as a percentage of our population has barely budged,” she said. “It was about 15.4 percent back then and it’s 14.7 percent now. So despite our good intentions, and trillions of dollars that have been spent, we have been unable to budge the basic poverty rate.”
The premise of a two-generational support system states that help cannot be extended just to the parents or the children. Instead, the entire family needs must be assessed to help them become self-sufficient.
For example, the Head Start program assists with education for small children, but ignores the fact that the parent may need guidance in nutrition, job training or transportation assistance, Collins said.
Her proposal has earned the support from community action programs around the state in looking at ways to offer a more successful approach to helping the 40 million Americans living in poverty today.
“Those of us here at ACAP are very familiar with ‘Two-Gen,’ both our board members who are here, as well as our staff members,” said Jason Parent, executive director for ACAP. “It is a key focus of our work as we move forward as an agency. We were all thrilled when we learned of Sen. Collins introducing this legislation.”
Following the award presentation, Sen. Collins toured the new Houlton facility, which celebrated its grand opening in May. The center marks the first time in the history of the organization that all of its programs and services in southern Aroostook, including early education, workforce development, energy/heating assistance and WIC (Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants and Children), are housed under one roof.
The child care center provides Early Head Start, Head Start and Child Care services to up to 85 children ages 0-5 each day. Nearly 40 percent of the children served are identified with mild to moderate special needs. In addition, 85-90 percent of the children live in poverty.
ACAP provides services to approximately 14,000 clients per year in southern, central and northern Aroostook. Services consist of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); Energy Crisis Intervention; Low-Income Assistance; Case Management; Affordable Care Act Navigator Program; Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act; National Emergency Grant to Assist Dislocated Workers; Homeownership Program; Homeownership Support Counseling; Energy, Moisture, and Infiltration Audit Inspections; Lead Paint Inspections; Housing Rehabilitation Services; Head Start; Early Head Start; Child Care; Child Care Food Program; Head Start Health Services; Supplemental Food for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); Breastfeeding Support; Oral Health; and Kids Integrated Dental Services.
