ACORN - Harrisburg PA

Mission: ACORN is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families Since 1970, ACORN has grown to more than 220,000 member families, organized in 850 neighborhood chapters in over 100 cities across the U.S. and in cities in Canada, the Dominican Republic and Peru. ACORN has taken action and won victories on issues of concern to our members. Our priorities include better housing for first time homebuyers and tenants, living wages for low-wage workers, more investment in our communities from banks and governments, and better public schools. We achieve these goals by building community organizations that have the power to win changes -- through direct action, negotiation, legislation, and voter participation. ACORN is an acronym, and each letter should be capitalized. ACORN stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Constituency: Harrisburg ACORN serves low and moderate income families in Central Pennsylvania, including Dauphin, York, Cumberland, Lebanon and Berks counties, and serves the needs of our statewide offices and members with our legislative liaison based here in the State Capitol. Structure: ACORN is a member-driven organization. Local offices serve the local membership. Members elect local chapter presidents, board members and statewide leaders. Local offices support the concerns and initiatives of its members and move on community concerns, locally, statewide and nationally. Decision-making process: ACORN members participate in local meetings and actively work on campaigns, elect leadership from the neighborhood level up, and pay the organization's core expenses through membership dues and grassroots fundraisers.