Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph began its service to Andrew, Buchanan, Clinton and DeKalb counties in 1965. Today, we continue to be an organization that relies on the generosity of others to make a difference in the lives of those in need and encourage a hand up towards self-sufficiency. Since that time, we've grown to become one of the region’s largest non-profit 501(c)(3)s dedicated to engaging communities to end poverty.

Mission Statement:

Helping people. Changing Lives. Engaging communities to end poverty.

History:

The War on Poverty in 1964
President Lyndon Johnson's Council of Economic Advisers' report, published in January 1964, focused on the "Problem of Poverty in America," showing that in a period of unprecedented prosperity, nearly one-fifth of the total U.S. population—33 to 35 million people—were poor, having incomes below the poverty line (then $3,000 for a family of four. It also revealed that, despite the decline from generation to generation in the proportion of the poor in the adult population, there were groups where the poverty rate was stubbornly stable and "the cruel legacy of poverty is passed from parents to children."

Incorporation in 1965
Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph (formerly Economic Opportunity Corporation of Greater St. Joseph) was incorporated in 1965 as a private non-profit corporation. The founding board made up of 36 community volunteers included representatives of public welfare, voluntary agencies, and neighborhood representatives including persons with low incomes. CAP St. Joe's first activities focused on identifying needs of targeted communities around St. Joseph and implementing a Head Start program for preschool-age children.