Will County Center for Community Concerns

Our Mission

The mission of the Will County Center for Community Concerns is to assist and enable low and moderate income individuals to obtain the opportunities needed to prepare themselves for self-sufficiency. We are a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to addressing the needs in the community by providing the following programs and services:

• Community Service Block Grant
• LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
• IHWAP (Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program)
• WCCCC is a HUD-certified Housing Counseling agency

Will County Center for Community Concerns is one of 36 Community Action Agencies which together serve the entire state of Illinois, and a member of the national organization, Community Action Partnership. The promise of community action is “Helping People / Changing Lives”, and carries out its mission through a variety of means including:

• Community-wide assessments of needs and strengths
• Comprehensive anti-poverty plans and strategies
• Provision of a broad range of direct services
• Mobilization of financial and non-financial resources
• Advocacy on behalf of low-income people and
• Partnerships with other community-based organizations to eliminate poverty

Our Story

Will County Center for Community Concerns, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It was established in 1987 to serve as the Community Action Agency for Will County at a site located in Joliet. Our agency has had several homes in Will County since our inception in 1987 before settling at our current location on the west side of Joliet.

We design and conduct both short and long term programs for the benefit of Will County’s low-income citizens. In addition to our ongoing programs (Community Services Block Grant, LIHEAP and Weatherization, we have also offered the following special projects to best serve our customers:

• TeamFirestoppers: 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2014 (in partnership with American Red Cross)
• Energy Efficient Lighting Program – CFL Bulb Exchange 2008, 2011, 2012, and 2013 ( in partnership with CITGO and Citizen’s Energy Corporation)
• ComEd Residential Hardship Program: 2009-2010
• Illinois Disaster Assistance Program: 2010 (in partnership with Will County Emergency Management Department)
• SafeLink: 2010-present
• Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP): 2009-2012
• Lead Hazard Reduction Programs: 2008, & 2010-2013
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA; in partnership with the IRS): 2010-present
• Healthy Homes, Healthy Families Annual Event: 2011-present

Our Commitment…To Serve

Our agency has made every effort to make it as simple as possible to access our services and programs. Customers can come down to the agency and be seen for multiple services in one visit. Although each program has slightly different eligibility requirements, our customer service representatives are trained to assess each customer’s needs and eligibility. We encourage our customers to take full advantage of every program for which they are eligible as they make their way towards self-sufficiency.

In addition to offering direct services to our income-eligible customers, our HUD-certified Housing Counselors can provide housing counseling to anyone in need of such services.

The Promise of Community Action Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities, and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community, and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other.