Mission & History : About Us : Community Action

Community Action provides critical services to low-income families in the areas of housing, homeless services, economic empowerment, family development, and early childhood care and education. We serve over 38,000 Washington County residents each year.

Our Mission

Community Action leads the way to eliminate conditions of poverty and create opportunities for people and communities to thrive.

Our Vision

Washington County's residents are strong, resilient, involved in the community, and live with dignity and security.

Our Values

Community – We value community by supporting our neighbors in need and integrating collaborative efforts into all we do.
Empathy – We value empathy by striving to understand each individual’s circumstances and providing tailored support to uplift them.
Service – We value service through an unwavering dedication to helping others and making a lasting impact in our community.
Equity – We value equity by meeting people where they are, respecting diverse backgrounds and experiences, and ensuring everyone has what they need to achieve economic success.

About Us

Our History

Johnson's Great Society

Having toured some of the country's poorest regions, President John F. Kennedy witnessed first-hand the destitution that poverty creates. He was moved to take action and on November 20, 1963, enacted legislation that would lead to the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA) of 1964. But two days later, the world would be shocked by his assassination. He did not live to see passage of the full EOA just nine months later.

His successor, Lyndon Johnson, also was devoted to the cause of fighting poverty and looked to expand on Kennedy’s policy ideas. Speaking to Congress on January 8, 1964, President Johnson said:

"Let us carry forward the plans and programs of John F. Kennedy, not because of our sorrow or sympathy, but because they are right. This administration today, here and now, declares an unconditional War on Poverty in America."

This was the first time a sitting president would make such a passionate appeal to the nation to take a clear and firm stance against poverty, and to deem it unacceptable in this land of plenty.

In 1964 and 1965, President Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act and the EOA, all landmark legislation designed to address a wide range of social and equality issues.

It was in the EOA that Community Action, Jobs Corp, VISTA, Legal Services Corporation, Head Start and many other programs of Johnson's Great Society and War on Poverty were launched.

Community Action Comes to Washington County

Here in Washington County, Oregon, a local group of civic leaders answered the president’s call. Concerned about local poverty, they formed a non-profit Community Action Agency and applied for federal seed money. On October 13, 1965, Washington County Community Action Organization was created to “implement as fully as possible the purposes of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.”

In the decades to follow, Community Action would continuously provide crucial services to help economically disadvantaged people achieve better lives, and increase opportunities for their children to thrive at home and in school.

Today, Community Action continues these necessary efforts, working and innovating with our community partners to offer hope, help and change for our neighbors in need.