60 Years of Community Action
Across the country, more than 1,000 Community Action Agencies (CAA) like JCEO work to give people the resources they need to achieve lasting stability and self-sufficiency. JCEO is one of more than 40 CAA in New York State alone! Every May, we join them in celebrating what community action means: the belief that people have the power to improve their own lives when they’re given the right tools and support. This year, JCEO is marking something special alongside Community Action Month… our 60th anniversary!
Sixty years is a long time. It’s long enough to have seen programs come and go, funding landscapes shift, and community needs evolve. It’s long enough to have touched the lives of multiple generations of North Country residents. It allows us to reflect back at the impact we’ve made, and to look ahead to the work still to come.
JCEO was officially incorporated as a private nonprofit in July of 1966, created as part of the national War on Poverty and with the understanding that communities themselves are best positioned to identify their needs and create meaningful solutions. With this, Community Action Agencies were born, calling on communities across the country to take action against poverty.
Clinton County answered that call, forming the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity as Clinton County’s official anti-poverty agency. The agency was initially a volunteer-run program overseen by the county, and it got to work immediately at identifying community needs and forming programs that would help address those needs.
Efforts to address poverty worked locally and nationwide. In the decade following the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act and the formation of Community Action Agencies, national poverty rates fell from 19% to 11.6%. Here in the North Country between 1960 and 1970, the poverty rate in Clinton County fell from 23.5% to 14.7%, and in Franklin County it fell from 30.6% to 18.2%.
Over the decades, JCEO’s reach expanded alongside the community’s needs. In 1998, we launched the Head Start program in Franklin County, bringing early childhood education and family support services to Malone and the surrounding areas. It was a natural step, and the expansion inspired our current name: Joint Council for Economic Opportunity of Clinton and Franklin Counties. Today, JCEO operates programs across both counties that touch every stage of life. We support the youngest members of our community through Head Start and Early Head Start, helping children and expectant parents navigate early childhood development. We help families keep energy costs down and their homes warm through our Energy Services program. We connect people to food, resources, applications and referrals through our Community Outreach program. We help seniors stay independent and connected through our Senior Outreach program. We facilitate workforce development, connect parents with childcare, provide medical transportation, and so much more.
The people we serve aren’t just statistics. They are our neighbors, friends, and family. Many of the people JCEO serves aren’t on any public assistance. They’re working. They’re raising families. They’re doing everything they can and still struggling to keep their lights on and food on the table. It’s the disabled veteran who’s been rationing meals because he can’t afford groceries. The nurse’s aid who can’t afford to heat her home. The single parent who needs childcare to keep his job. The senior living alone who needs a ride to her doctor.
Nothing we do is possible without the community. Behind every program is a team of dedicated staff, a network of volunteers and community partners, the generosity of donors, and the trust of the people we serve. As we celebrate Community Action Month, we also celebrate the people behind the mission who show up every day and make this work possible. They believe, like we do, that the North Country and the people who live here are worth investing in.
For our 60th anniversary, we’re looking forward - to the families we haven’t yet reached, to the hurdles we haven’t crossed, and to the future we’re still building together. Here’s to another 60 years of helping people and changing lives!
Whether you’re a long-time supporter or a first-time visitor, if you’re someone who wants to make a difference in the North Country, Community Action is for you. You can get involved by volunteering, donating, and spreading the word. And if you or someone you know needs help, JCEO is here.
Celebrate with us on Saturday, May 9th from 10:00am - 2:00pm for Community Action Day in Betty Little Arts Park!
To learn more about JCEO’s programs and services, check out www.jceo.org/our-programs.
To support our work, click here to donate.
To read more about our impact, visit www.jceo.org/impact
Celebrate at home! Color in one of the designs below and scan your finished artwork to jceo@jceo.org, or send us your selfie with the I Heart Community Action flyer.
Learn more about our impact and read testimonials and success stories here.