Everyone's life tells a story and it is that story that will go on for generations to come. It's a story that you write yourself. Every sentence, paragraph, and chapter is penned by your own hand. This is the story of Western Community Action Inc. (WCA) written with the hands of staff and volunteers dedicated to removing obstacles and providing opportunities, tools, and hope as a pathway out of poverty.

Isabel, a Western Community Action Head Start home visitor, began conducting home visits with a local family. She saw immediately that a 4-year-old child in the program had serious medical needs that had been present since birth, but the family had no resources to address them. The girl suffered from a facial deformity, had severe orthodontic problems, and needed glasses. Her parents worked but their needs were much more than their minimum wage incomes could meet. They could easily have become homeless trying to address their little girl's health needs. The family knew that they and their child were in a very precarious situation but they didn't know what to do.

Isabel helped them find and utilize local resources to stabilize their situation. They set goals and worked to meet them. After numerous trips to hospitals in Minneapolis and Chicago, the little girl's health issues have been taken care of. Thanks to Isabel, now this little girl and family is healthy, warm and safe, and knows that they are part of a caring community that is able to help them when they need it. They have real hope for their future and are better prepared to meet the challenges along the way.

Imagine yourself living in such a caring community. Imagine living in a place where no child grows up poor or hungry or living in unsafe conditions. Imagine that every individual and every family is valued, respected, and living in an atmosphere of hope. Imagine vibrant communities where no one is left to struggle alone. Wouldn't you want to live in such a place?

Western Community Action Agency opened its doors on July 29, 1965, the same year that Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C. Mirroring what was happening at the National and State Levels, WCA became a local testing ground for antipoverty initiatives and started dreaming its own dream of helping people, changing lives, and eliminating poverty in Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Jackson and Cottonwood counties in southwest Minnesota.

Some of the first WCA initiatives designed to help people in need were so successful they lasted for many years, grew and became part of the fabric of the community. It is surprising to realize how instrumental WCA was, and still is, to the establishment of life-changing programs we take for granted today.

While the needs of the many communities WCA serves vary from one location to the next, a consistent focus for every community includes meeting the basic needs of providing food and clothing, emergency housing assistance, medical needs, education and mentoring for children, youth, and families, transportation services, and also providing affordable, warm and stable housing.

For many of the families WCA serves, help in any one of these areas is more than just meeting basic needs. It is a lifeline to a better life and a more stable future for their children.

Please join with us in writing the story of helping people, changing lives, and eliminating poverty. Donations can be made to the area of your choice:
*Big Buddies Youth Mentoring Program
*Circles of Support
*Coats For Kids
*Community Transit
*Head Start
*Homelessness Prevention
*Housing & Energy Assistance
*Kitchen Table Food Shelf
*Western Community Action Inc., Capital Campaign