About Us : Community Action

Community Action Agencies (CAAs) are nonprofit private and public organizations established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to fight America's War on Poverty. CAAs help people to help themselves in achieving self-reliance. Today there are approximately 1,000 CAAs, serving the poor in 96 percent of the counties within the United States, as well as in Puerto Rico and the Trust Territories. CAAs are a primary source of direct support for the more than 34.5 million people who live in poverty in the United States. There are currently 28 community action agencies in the State of Minnesota and most are private, non-profit corporations.

There are two kinds of CAAs:

1. Public agency: A city or county with a population greater than 100,000 may have a CAA within its structure and apply for funding to operate programs; or
2. Private, non-profit corporation: The governing body of a county must officially recognize the CAA for that county, and a Board of Directors, consisting of one-third local elected officials, one-third private citizens, and one-third consumers of the agency’s programs, governs the community action agency.

“Semcac assists people to achieve or maintain independence and self-reliance through their own and community resources."

Although programs and services have changed over the years since the agency’s founding in 1966, Semcac remains dedicated to fighting poverty and helping people help themselves and each other.

As a Community Action Agency, Semcac has a unique governing body. The Semcac Board of Directors is required by federal law to have representation from three sectors: 1/3 represent consumers; 1/3 represent public officials; and 1/3 represent private, community organizations.

Each of Semcac’s seven primary service area counties—Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Steele and Winona—is allowed two representatives from each sector.

• Consumers are elected for four-year terms.
• Public officials are appointed by county commissioners.
• Private sector members represent local organizations and are appointed by the board

Board meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of every month at the St. Charles Community Center. Board members determine goals and set policies for the private, non-profit corporation. Board members are reimbursed for mileage to and from meetings and for child care during board meetings.

Persons interested in serving on the Semcac Board of Directors may request more information by calling (507) 864-7741.

In late 1965 a group of citizens from Winona County came together to discuss poverty in their county.

They had heard about federal legislation, called the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which made possible the formation of Community Action Agencies across the United States and charged these agencies with fighting the "War on Poverty.” The Winona County group formed the Winona Citizens Action Council in hopes of accessing funding to help those living in poverty in their county.

When the council was informed that only multi-county proposals would be funded, they approached Fillmore County and Houston County. In June 1966, the Southeastern Minnesota Citizen’s Action Council became a private, nonprofit corporation. The agency began with a planning and development grant of about $30,000.

SEMCAC, Inc. became the agency’s legal name when Dodge County and Steele County joined the agency in 1975. Mower County became the sixth county of the agency’s service area on June 25, 1985. In 1995 the “Inc.” was dropped and the agency’s legal name became “Semcac.” The commissioners of Freeborn County designated Semcac as their county’s Community Action Agency beginning January 1, 2004, after state funding cuts in 2003 had forced the previous agency to close.

At the agency’s founding, the City of Rushford offered to house Semcac's headquarters for no charge in the city's Tew Memorial Building. As the agency grew, two additional sites in Rushford were used for Head Start and Senior Programs’ administrative staff. In 1992, Semcac purchased a large building in Rushford so that the agency's administrative staff and program headquarters could again come together under one roof. In addition to the Administrative Office in Rushford, Semcac can be found at 7 county contact centers, 4 food shelves, 16 Head Start locations, 58 Senior Dining sites, and the Semcac Clinic in Winona.