Community Action, Inc.

Walk-In Resource Assistance

Community Action staff provide information, answer questions, make referrals, & offer personalized support to individuals seeking support & services from Community Action & other local resources.

Learn more about Community Action, Inc.

At Community Action, Inc., our mission is to empower individuals and families as they move from poverty towards prosperity. As part of our mission, we recognize that poverty is complex and complicated for many experiencing it. Our services are designed to recognize this complexity and assist those in need through holistic, person-centered services.

Community Action, Inc, through its Family and Community Outcomes Division, offers the following services to those in need:

1. Information and Referral:  As part of services, Community Action provides information about assistance programs offered through various community resources and/or government systems. If the information is useful to the person or family, Community Action will attempt to warmly connect the person to the best resource designed to assist them.

2. Financial Assistance:  For those who are eligible, Community Action has designated funds to assist individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity. These funds are designed to alleviate some of the immediate financial stress that often traps individuals and families from moving out of poverty. (**Rental assistance can only be provided to those referred to Community Action by the Equity.Access.Shelter (EAS) program at the City of Topeka. To determine whether you qualify for the EAS program, email EAS@topeka.org or call 785-368-9533.)

3. Assessment and Case Management:  As part of services, Community Action assesses the holistic needs of the person or family in an attempt to understand the many factors contributing to the current situation. Through this assessment, Community Action provides ongoing case management to the person or family, following the development of a person/family-centered plan as they move toward addressing many of barriers and challenges affecting their current situation. Barriers and challenges that are often addressed include:  employment, education, budgeting, financial empowerment, and many others.

4. Other Core Services:  At Community Action, we offer the following additional services to eligible residents of Shawnee County:

a. Diaper Depot Program:  After completing an intake, an eligible family can be enrolled in the Diaper Depot Program where they will receive a pack of 50 diapers once per month. To be eligible, a child aged 0-35 months must live in the household, the household income must be within 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and the family must reside in Shawnee County.

b. Period Pantry Program:  After completing an intake, an eligible menstruator can be enrolled in the Period Pantry Program where they will receive 25 period supplies once per month. To be eligible, the menstruator must complete a self-declaration of need establishing that purchasing the period supplies is a serious financial burden, live in a household with income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and reside in Shawnee County.

c. Senior Commodities Program:  After completing an intake, an eligible person aged 60 or over can be enrolled in the Senior Commodities Program where they will receive a box of food once per month. This program is delivered in partnership with Harvesters. To be eligible, the person must be at least 60 years of age, reside in Shawnee County in a household with income at 130% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. (** Due to the increased needs around food insecurity, Harvesters is experiencing a significant increase in requests for its food distribution programs. As such, Harvesters has limited Community Action to 55 enrolled participants. Currently, Community Action has reached its capacity for this program and is entering eligible applicants onto a waitlist).

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