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Lakes & Prairies Community Action outlines senior services, transportation and workforce programs in budget presentation
Summary
Lakes & Prairies Community Action (CAP LP) presented its 2026 priorities to Clay County commissioners, highlighting senior nutrition and transportation programs, Career Connect workforce training, Head Start and concerns about possible cuts to Community Services Block Grant funding.
Lakes & Prairies Community Action (CAP LP) officials briefed the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 12 about the agency’s regional programs and its 2026 budget priorities, with a focus on services for older adults, rural transportation and workforce training.
Lori Schwartz, executive director, said CAP LP is one of about 1,000 community action agencies nationwide and 1 of 24 in Minnesota. CAP LP reported growth from roughly 80 staff in 2016 to about 135 team members and an annual budget approaching $13 million; the agency runs Head Start and early Head Start, statewide Child Care Connections for parts of North Dakota and 24 Minnesota counties, housing programs and economic empowerment efforts.
Schwartz and Robin Christiansen, CAP LP’s economic empowerment director, described services for older adults including an aging advocate who administers the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) boxes (roughly 150'160 boxes delivered monthly via North Country Food Bank), free income tax preparation for eligible residents (roughly 600 clients 60+ served this year), and a rural routes bus that provides transportation to older adults in rural Clay County. The agency said rural route ridership is down roughly 20–30% through mid-2025; fares are on a sliding scale and are income-based (roughly $10'$25 per ride).
Christiansen said CAP LP will run a Group Work Camp in 2026 (Barnesville site) offering basic home repairs for older adults and low-income homeowners within a 30-mile radius, free to qualifying applicants. Lori Schwartz highlighted Career Connect, a workforce training partnership that delivers condensed certificate courses (CDL, welding, CNA and similar 6'8 week programs) tied to local employers and supported in part by CSBG (Community Services Block Grant) funds.
CAP LP officials reiterated that CSBG and Minnesota Community Action Grant (MCAG) funds provide flexible, locally directed dollars that fill gaps in restricted grant programs; they said CSBG was at risk in federal budget discussions but retained bipartisan support in Minnesota. Officials asked to stay engaged with county leaders as the agency finalizes its levy request and program budgets.
Commissioners thanked CAP LP staff for the work across the region and discussed partnering on transportation and senior service outreach in areas where volunteer driver programs have lost volunteers.
