Written by Maya Betti, News Intern & Read on-air by Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
In Rice County, the Community Action Center—known as the CAC—is a vital lifeline for thousands of residents each year. The nonprofit, rooted in local volunteerism, was founded more than 50 years ago by everyday people who saw a need in their community and acted.
Today, CAC continues to evolve with the times, offering a broad array of support services to those in crisis. Anika Richner of the Community Action Center explains:
“We are rooted in this community. We are started by volunteers, just like you and I, over 50 years ago, when people saw a need and as the needs of the community have grown and shifted. CAC’s job is to grow and shift with the community and respond to the needs that we’re hearing about,” – Anika Richner, Senior Director of the CAC
From emergency food and housing to eviction prevention and employment support, CAC serves between 16,000 and 17,000 people a year in Rice County, according to Richner.
Its programs also include getting school supplies to those in need through Operation Backpack, seasonal holiday support, and a clothes closet that provides free clothing while raising funds for other initiatives. Last year, the center gave 40,000 dollars in free clothing.
In addition to this, CAC operates resource centers in both Northfield and Faribault — no appointment necessary. That’s important, according to Richner, as “crisis doesn’t make an appointment.”
This couldn’t be possible, of course, without a large volunteer base. Just last year, CAC had 450 unique volunteers working for the CAC in a variety of ways and gave over 25,000 hours of services. These volunteers are crucial to the CAC’s work, according to Lisa Percy.
“We just have an amazing number of volunteers. No, we just couldn’t – CAC could not — operate without volunteers,” – Lisa Percy, Project Manager of the CAC
You can hear the full conversation I had with CAC Senior Director Anika Richner and Project Manager Lisa Percy, going behind the scenes of the Community Action Center — including how programs are developed, funded and supported by volunteers and community partnerships. That program airs today at 9 a.m. and will be available wherever you get your podcasts. Just search KYMN News.
Newscasts on KYMN air on weekdays at 6am, 7am, 8:30am, Noon, 3pm, and 5pm. If you miss it live, you can subscribe on your preferred podcast app:
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