Community Action Program Corporation of history

1968 Head Start program was funded for the full school year.

By 1969, the OEO had started several programs recognizable today, including Head Start, Legal Services, VISTA, Foster Grandparents, Economic Development, Neighborhood Centers, Summer Youth Programs, and Congregate Meal Sites.

Many working in the poverty field saw the election of Jimmy Carter as an opportunity to return to the strides made through 1973 that had actually reduced poverty.

In 1981, President Reagan introduced the Block Grant, which dramatically changed the way federal funding was distributed.

1988 Finance Director Ethrage Warters recognized the need to automate the accounting system.

1993 The Agency used the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) to create the first iteration of a holistic self-sufficiency program, Family Financial Independence (FFI). The Agency also developed several key collaborative agreements with local school systems to support and host Head Start classrooms.

1996 The State Energy Office (SEO) received an allocation from the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) to operate the Heating/Air Repair and Replacement Program (HARRP) and complement WAP customers with HVAC needs.

1999 The Agency dedicated this Head Start center, posthumously, to Lonnie D. Burton, the Agency’s executive director for 27 years.

Beginning in 2001, Community Action has improved their reporting through the Results Oriented Management and Accountability (ROMA) framework and continuously seeks ways to improve outreach and services.