Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation is celebrating 54 years in Winneshiek County

The month of May is "Community Action Month."  Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation (NEICAC) has been serving the residents of northeast Iowa for 54 years.  NEICAC is one of over 1,000 community action agencies serving the entire United States.  In Iowa, there are 17 community action agencies, serving all 99 counties.  NEICAC serves Allamakee, Bremer, Chickasaw, Clayton Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties, with its main administrative offices located at the Smith Building, at 305 Montgomery Street in Decorah.
 
Les Askelson, Julie Wurtzel and John Beard represent Winneshiek County on NEICAC's Board of Directors.  Askelson is the Board Chair, and serves on the Finance and the Personnel Committees. Wurtzel is the Board Vice-Chair, and serves on the Planning & Evaluation Committee. Beard serves on the Personnel and Public Relations & Media Committees.
 
In 2018, NEICAC served an unduplicated 10,549 individuals in 4,523 households.   Just in Winneshiek County, NEICAC:
 

--Provided 104 households with crisis assistance, primarily for utilities, but also some rent assistance to prevent eviction
--Provided over 1,675 boxes/bags of food through the Winneshiek County Food Pantry
--Provided financial literacy/budgeting classes to 65 households
--Provided case management with 9 families through the Family Development and Self-Sufficiency program (FaDSS)
--Provided Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention information to 418 individuals
--Provided weatherization for 7 homes
--Assisted 5 households with the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program (Disaster Assistance)