Community Action Month
Shine the Light Campaign
Shine the Light is NYSCAA’s Community Action Month campaign celebrating the staff whose dedication, skill, and compassion strengthen communities across New York State.
Submit a Story View 2026 Honorees
2026 Campaign Progress
2 of 5 honorees announced: Michael Dougherty and Joanna Seaman. More stories will be shared throughout Community Action Month.
Newest 2026 Honoree
Now in the Spotlight
Joanna Seaman
Greeter, Tioga Opportunities, Inc.
Joanna came to Tioga Opportunities after spending years as a stay-at-home mom. When the pandemic changed everything, she was ready to find work with purpose. She found exactly that at the front desk of her local Community Action Agency.
“It’s important to feel seen. It’s important to know you matter.”
2026 Honorees
Meet the 2026 Shine the Light Winners
Throughout Community Action Month, NYSCAA is recognizing five staff members from across New York State whose stories reflect the heart, skill, and dedication of Community Action.
Michael Dougherty Winner
UCCAC — Weatherization Program Director
Joanna Seaman Newest
Tioga Opportunities, Inc. — Greeter
Honoree 3 Coming Soon
More stories will be shared throughout Community Action Month.
Honoree 4 Coming Soon
More stories will be shared throughout Community Action Month.
Honoree 5 Coming Soon
More stories will be shared throughout Community Action Month.
Why Shine the Light Matters
A spotlight on the people who make Community Action possible
Shine the Light gives NYSCAA a way to pause during Community Action Month and recognize the people whose work often happens quietly, consistently, and with deep impact in communities across New York State.
Elevates voices | Honors commitment | Builds connection
How to Participate
Share a story. Recognize a colleague.
The campaign is designed to make it easy for Community Action staff to share stories that show the people and purpose behind the work.
1. Submit a Story → CAA staff submit a short personal story about their work, journey, or impact.
2. NYSCAA Reviews → Selected stories are prepared for campaign promotion.
3. Share the Spotlight → Honorees are featured through NYSCAA’s website, social media, and communications.
Past Honorees
2025 Shine the Light Honorees
NYSCAA was proud to recognize the following Community Action staff as 2025 Shine the Light honorees.
 Laurel Polttila, JCEO
 Bridget Dolbear, OCO
 Bre Jackowski, OCO
 Theresa Radley, CAPCO
 Karima Wines, MVCAA
2025 Archive
Read All 2025 Submissions
Thank you to all 2025 submitters. Your stories help show the heart, strength, and impact of Community Action across New York State.
Read Submissions
Now Accepting Submissions
Help NYSCAA shine the light on Community Action staff across New York State
Share your story or recognize a colleague whose work deserves to be celebrated during Community Action Month.
Submit Your 2026 Story
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Call for Workshop Proposals
2026 NYSCAA Annual Conference
NYSCAA is seeking interactive, practical, and skill-building sessions that offer clear takeaways, useful tools, and strategies attendees can bring back to their agencies.
Location
Niagara Falls, NY
Conference Dates
September 15–18, 2026
Proposal Deadline
Friday, May 1, 2026
Submit a Proposal Sponsor & Exhibitor Packet Ask a Question
Important Dates
Submission Deadline
Friday, May 1, 2026
Notification Date
Friday, June 12, 2026
What We Are Seeking
NYSCAA invites proposals for interactive, skill-building sessions that strengthen knowledge, expertise, and capacity across New York’s Community Action Network.
Preference is given to sessions that include clear learning objectives, practical tools, and strategies participants can realistically bring back to their agencies.
Session Length and Format
Length
Sessions may be 60 or 90 minutes. Flexibility may be available.
Format
Workshop, panel, or interactive presentation.
Best Fit
High engagement, practical takeaways, and tools participants can use.
Priority Topic Areas
Choose one or more topic areas in the submission form.
Human Resources Finance Labor Law Nonprofit Management Head Start / Early Head Start / Early Childhood Artificial Intelligence in Service Delivery Weatherization / Housing Data / ROMA Program Innovation
Before You Start the Form
To make submission quick, prepare the following information before opening the proposal form.
Presenter details: Lead presenter name, organization, email, and phone.
Session overview: Session title and 1–2 paragraph description.
Learning goals: 2–4 learning objectives or goals.
Session logistics: Preferred session format and length.
Optional materials: Handouts or supporting documents.
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NYSCAA Resource
Community Action Plan Templates
In partnership with the New York State Department of State and NYSCAA, a workgroup of Community Action Agency staff developed Community Action Plan Templates for the network to use as a reference when preparing Community Action Plans.
Download the Template
About the Templates
Community Action Plan Templates, also known as workplans or Attachment C, are intended to help agencies organize program information, identify benchmarks, and report outcomes in a clear and consistent way.
These templates are designed as a reference guide for agencies developing Community Action Plans and can support planning, reporting, and internal review processes.
Supporting ROMA-Based Planning
The templates highlight the use of Results Oriented Management and Accountability, commonly known as ROMA, along with related concepts, principles, and best practice approaches for documenting program benchmarks and outcomes.
Planning Support
Helps agencies structure Community Action Plan content in a consistent and practical format.
Benchmarks & Outcomes
Provides a framework for reporting benchmarks, outcomes, and program-level results.
ROMA Alignment
Encourages the use of ROMA concepts and results-oriented practice throughout the planning process.
Download the Community Action Plan Template
Access the template file and use it as a reference when developing or updating Community Action Plans.
Download Template
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