Our Community Commitment
As a Community Action Agency, we are charged with responding to community needs. For us, being flexible to take on different initiatives and collaborate with local partners is part of the fabric of who we are. This has allowed us to work on special projects, start innovative initiatives and help smaller non-profits get started. Many well-known non-profits got their start thanks to our commitment to the community we serve.
Project Uplift
For more than 25 years, Action Inc.’s Project Uplift toy drive has been providing holiday gifts for local families in need. Dozens of local businesses and organizations act as collection sites and hundreds of volunteers donate new toys and clothes or make cash donations. Every December our pop-up shop opens in downtown Gloucester, where parents can choose the gifts that will make the holidays special for their families.
In 2017 we were able to provide gifts for 738 children. We received tremendous support from 52 local businesses and organizations who acted as collection sites. This effort would not be possible without the generosity of our caring community.
High Risk Task Force
Individuals in crisis need a lot of support, often from multiple agencies providing different services. The Gloucester High Risk Task Force brings together medical, behavioral health, public safety, and community services providers to coordinate case management for high-risk residents.
Founded as a partnership between Action Inc., the Healthy Gloucester Collaborative (of the Gloucester Health Department), the Gloucester Police and Fire Departments, and the Addison Gilbert Hospital Emergency Room, the task force was organized to intervene in the lives of these individuals. Previously, many of these residents would be served by each agency multiple times, without significant improvement in their health and well-being. By better coordinating the care these individuals receive, we are able to achieve better outcomes and use each agency’s resources more efficiently.