Community Action Marin

Safety net services: community action marin offers one-time emergency support for clients who need help with rent or mortgage payments, rental deposits and, in limited cases, emergency car repairs, durable medical equipment, or other essential needs. Our safety net services help to keep people out of crisis. This service is for families with children living in the home, veterans, victims of domestic violence, seniors, or disabled adults. The agency is also the local administrator of the federally-funded low-income home energy assistance program (liheap). Reaching nearly 600 households last year, our low-income energy assistance program ensures that families get assistance with utility payments, wood and propane home energy costs.

Head start & early head start : community action marin is the county's head start/early head start grant recipient, ensuring that children ages 0-5 from income-eligible families get high-quality early education and support with health, nutrition, social services, and family development. We ensure family well-being, positive parent child relationships, and help to nurture parent connections so that families are successful, people are life-long learners, and community is stonger.

Food and climate justice: the agency's central kitchen prepares daily breakfast, lunch, and snack for over 440 children in our care. We use fresh ingredients grown in our production farm and school gardens. Early education programs at cam help to educate children about healthy eating and active living, with our appetite for change initiative fostering parent engagement, culturally-appropriate food, and permaculture principles. The kitchen also provides a vital space for select local business owners and entrepreneurs to operate and grow small food service businesses. Cam is the contracted provider of meals at county senior centers and at a partner nonprofit for older adults.

Economic justice: our agency promotes prosperity and hope through a powerful set of coaching and workforce development programs. Bilingual and bicultural coaches partner with clients for household budgeting, rebuilding credit, managing debt, navigating housing, or getting trained for a new career, helping people to put dreams within reach. Staff and volunteers also provided over 260 people with free tax assistance. Workforce initiatives include peer specialist training and the early childhood education pathways to success state-approved apprenticeship program, among others.

Behavioral health services: the agency's behavioral health services include outreach, peer education and training, and peer-led support. We are committed to teaching, empowering, and advocating for our clients to recover in community and the agency operates the first large-scale behavioral health program in california run for and by behavioral health clients. Our family partners provide support and mentorship to youth and adults navigating the behavioral health system with a loved one.

Housing justice: community action marin provides outreach and housing stability county-wide. Staff offer housing-based case management, rental assistance, and eviction resources for adults and transitional age youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Advocacy efforts focus on tenant protections, housing preservation and production of affordable housing.