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May 11, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextRECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SAGINAW COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION
COMMITTEE
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Saginaw County Community Action Committee. Over the past 60 years, the Saginaw County CAC has served as a proactive and dedicated community partner, working to problem-solve for residents and help create a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. It is a privilege and an honor to celebrate the organization's 60th anniversary.
established on January 29, 1965, not even a year after President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964, which created the Office of Economic Opportunity and led to the start of Community Action Programs all around the Nation. The focus was on fighting poverty on a local level, with a requirement for “maximum feasible participation” for the poor, recognizing that those closest to the hardship know best what their problems are and how resources can most effectively be deployed to address them.
The Saginaw County CAC was founded through leadership from Kenneth V. Anderson, Henry Marsh, Thomas Retherman, R. Kenneth Letherar, Henry Nickleberry, Emilio Martinez, and Jack Frye, local civic leaders referred to today as the organization's “Seven Pillars.” They wanted to ensure that hard-working residents of Saginaw had the tools available to improve their own lives. Early programs included job training and employment programs, emergency assistance, housing referrals, and youth development initiatives.
Federal anti-poverty programs began to mature and funding stabilized. The agency became a local administrator of Head Start, bringing early childhood education to Saginaw County's youngest and most vulnerable residents. Services grew to include dental care initiatives, legal aid, weatherization assistance, food distribution, and more. In 1984, the organization moved to their current home at 2824 Perkins St, in Saginaw, establishing a permanent presence in the community it serves.
the Great Recession worsened hardships for families across the State, the SCCAC played a key role in delivering Federal and State emergency assistance and expanded emergency assistance and added foreclosure prevention programs.
repair programs, neighborhood revitalization initiatives, and food access efforts. When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, the organization was once again there to help residents through. They provided CARES emergency assistance, including food distribution, diaper support, and outreach to vulnerable seniors across Saginaw County.
through emergency assistance programs. Over the years, the organization has generated over $90 million in grant funds and over $5 million of in-kind time value donated through volunteer engagement to the agency. The organization has allocated $3.5 million in housing and home repair projects and over $8.5 million of emergency assistance to Saginaw County residents facing hardships.
Under the leadership of executive director Hurley J. Coleman III and deputy director Mary McMath, the Saginaw County Community Action Committee remains as committed as ever to the founding mission: reducing poverty and expanding opportunity for all Saginaw County residents.
decades providing resources and support to help families thrive. I trust that my Senate colleagues will join me in congratulating the SCCAC and thanking everyone who has made this work possible.