| Westbay Community Action was founded in 1966. Originally called Warwick Community Action, the organization was established under President Lyndon Johnson's War-On-Poverty legislation enacted from 1964 to 1968.
President Johnson penned the term “War On Poverty” and created the concept of “Community Action” as the weapon with which to fight poverty. The Civil Rights Movement brought the face of southern Black poverty onto the television screen and into the consciousness of the nation. Once uncovered, poverty took on many faces across America – Appalachian whites, migrant farm workers, youth in the urban centers, the elderly and disabled, Native Americans and unemployed/underemployed uneducated and unskilled workers.
In the beginning, Westbay Community Action organized neighborhoods around local issues and needs and it created opportunities to meet those needs. Forty years later, Westbay is still community based. It is a provider of many, many services. It remains flexible and able to change as needs change. Westbay Community Action continues to provide residents with opportunities to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. |
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