Community Action of Skagit County reports sharp rise in Anacortes Resource Center use; seeks continued city support

Sandy Finney, chief strategy officer of Community Action of Skagit County, told the Anacortes City Council on Oct. 20 that the organization’s Anacortes Resource Center has seen a sharp increase in clients and asked the city for continued support in 2026.

Finney, accompanied by executive director Bill Henkel, said Community Action served 1,133 people in Anacortes in calendar year 2024. Of those, about 243 avoided homelessness, about 468 accessed food and nutrition education, roughly 925 expanded their income through benefits or supports the agency connected them with, and about $50,000 in rent payments were made to Anacortes landlords through agency assistance. Staff said service counts have risen since the resource center’s 2023 start and that January–September 2025 client contacts have already reached 270 at the center.

Finney highlighted a dramatic increase in energy and utility assistance in Anacortes: the program’s Anacortes caseload rose from 161 people to 752 in 2024. To respond, Community Action said it has converted a part‑time screener position into a full‑time energy intake specialist and deployed an employment specialist to the Anacortes Resource Center on a weekly basis. The organization said funding for energy assistance comes in part from Puget Sound Energy contributions and the federal LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program).

Finney also described staffing changes that helped increase outreach: the center moved from a two‑person model (WIC staff plus a service screener) to adding a resource coordinator and later a resource events coordinator who attends community events to expand referrals. Community Action said the center serves a mix of clients — about 30% age 60 and over, about 33% families with children, roughly 19% unhoused and about 22% homeowners — and that 88% of Anacortes clients served were at or below 100% of the federal poverty level.

Finney said Community Action is in early conversations about whether and how to fill a gap in senior nutrition and Meals on Wheels services after Skagit County announced it will no longer provide those services; the group described the scale of a county meals program (staff and volunteers) and said nonprofit partnership would require creative solutions and additional resources.

Council members praised the center’s outreach and asked follow‑up questions about staffing, coordination with the senior center and possibilities for home weatherization and local farm donations of produce. Community Action staff said they refer energy clients to Skagit County Housing Authority weatherization services and will follow up on specific referrals. The agency asked for continued financial support from the city for 2026 and said it would welcome further coordination with the city’s senior services and school district outreach.