Stimulus money provides extended office hours at Community Action

[December 09, 2009]  As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, stimulus dollars have been obtained by Community Action to help better serve the working poor. Beginning this week, Community Action will have extended hours for customers who are employed and cannot access services like the food pantry during regular business hours.

Regular business hours for the Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois are from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Thanks to stimulus funding, additional staff members have been hired to extend those hours until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. The new hours began Tuesday in DeWitt, Logan and Mason-Fulton counties.

In order to be assisted during the expanded hours and on Saturdays, individuals should make an appointment at their local office during regular business hours. This service is by appointment only in order to serve those whose employment makes it unfeasible to benefit from the services offered during normal business hours.

"Community Action has assisted many more individuals in the last few years, so we are hoping this extension of hours, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, will help us serve the growing number of people who need assistance," said Kathy Shepherd, community service director.

Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois serves low-income residents through many programs: Community Service, LIHEAP, Weatherization, Senior Nutrition and Transportation, Home Care, Foster Grandparents, Community Services Block Grant Small Business Loan, and Head Start. For more information, visit www.capcil.org.

[Text from file received from Community Action Partnership of Central Illinois]