Will County Center for Community Concerns
Providing Hope Through Self-SufficiencyOur Mission: To assist and enable low and moderate income individuals to obtain the opportunities needed to prepare themselves for self-sufficiency.
Will County Center for Community Concerns 35th Anniversary
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.
About Community Action
Community Action was established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, as a part of the “War on Poverty.” The goal of the program, which is now part of the Community Services Block Grant, is to reduce poverty, revitalize low-income communities, and empower low-income individuals and families to become fully self-sufficient. The program is carried out by a national network of over 1300 designated Community Action Agencies (“CAAs”), which provide a diverse array of services to and advocacy on behalf of low-income individuals and families.
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 motto 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
We are a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1987 to serve as the local Community Action Agency for Will County.
Originally located in Joliet, our agency has had several homes in Will County since our inception before settling at our current location on the west side of Joliet. We also conduct outreach throughout Will County at partner sites and township offices to ensure that everyone has access to our services regardless of their geographic location.
We design and conduct assistance programs for the benefit of Will County’s low-income citizens. In addition to our ongoing programs (Community Services Block Grant, Continuum of Care, LIHEAP and Weatherization, we have also offered the following special projects to best serve our customers: