In 1964, President L.B. Johnson officially declared a “War on Poverty” and appointed Sargent Shriver to lead a Poverty Task Force that would ultimately shape the Community Action movement. Mr. Shriver presented a “poverty proposal” to Congress that lead to the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.
President Johnson didn’t stop there. He also created the Office of Economic Opportunity, specifically designed to create and implement programs that would provide services to engage the “poor” and help move low-income Americans toward self-sufficiency.
Community Action Programs were formed across the country, and programs such as Head Start and Job Corps were implemented. By 1966, there were more than 1,000 Community Action Agencies spread out across the U.S.
More than 50 years later, Community Action continues to pursue its original mission: fighting the “War on Poverty” through programs, services, and collaborations that meet the needs of each individual community.