History

1964
Concerned community volunteers secured a grant from the national Community Services Administration to organize a grass-roots effort to fight the conditions that create poverty and to help those in poverty to become self-sufficient. The citizens incorporated as The Opportunity Corporation of Asheville & Buncombe County and it was charted as a Community Action Agency.

At that time, the Agency's Mission was to identify the needs of low-income families, "jump-start" programs to address the problems and then "spin-off" these programs to local, state, federal governments or create new organizations.

1965
Three major events occurred during this important year in our Agency's history:

• We joined with Madison to utilize Office Economic Opportunities funds for that county,
• We changed our name to "…Madison & Buncombe Counties"
• We received our first Head Start grant to fund a summer program. The early success of Head Start and the tremendous need for comprehensive family development services ensured continued program funding throughout the nation.
• We began the Adult and Childcare Food Program locally to provide healthy lunches and snacks to Head Start Children.
  

1967
We created the Urban Development Project, a program that helped low-income families organize and express community concerns to local government. Our primary concern was the failing condition of physical infrastructure in their neighborhoods, and the inability of most poor families to address their acute and chronic health and welfare needs. As a result of these problems, the local governments collaborated with the agency to set up three community centers to offer services that included:

• home management
• youth development, and
• other social services

Later that year, the Agency renamed this program to "The Greater Buncombe Project." Under that initiative the Agency created and operated

• a food pantry
• medical services
• Youth Training Institute Program
• Family Planning Clinic at Memorial Mission Hospital
• Summer Youth Program
• Summer Food Service Program
• Emergency fuel program
• Garden Seed Program
• Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP).

We also opened and operated a clothing distribution center that later incorporated as Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM).

1968
In this year, we started the Rural Development Project in Madison County and organized 17 youth groups that focused on recreation, crafts and job preparation. We then began the Youth Service Project and offered employment counseling.

Head Start was funded to be a 10-month program instead of a summer program.

1970
The Agency's "Youth Services Project" created the "Afro-American Youth Society", that later initiated the "Hillcrest Drill Team".

1975
Federal legislation created and funded the Weatherization Assistance Program that positioned Community Action Agencies as the preferred delivery organization.

1990
The Agency operated the "Homeless Assistance Program" that was designed to help families obtain permanent standard housing. This program was funded by a modest state appropriation.

The Emergency Assistance Program, also a state funded initiative, gave one-time support for heat to low-income seniors and others on Supplemental Security Income. By 1997 the State of North Carolina had cut both programs.

1993
We began to offer a full day, full year Head Start option for parents who worked or were in school.

The Agency used the Community Service Block Grant to begin the Family Financial Independence Program, an extremely early version of Life Works.

1996
The State received an allocation from the Low Income Energy Assistance Program to operate the Heating Appliance Repair and Replacement Program that compliments and supports the Weatherization Assistance Program. The State funded the agency to begin this program locally within the same year.

1997
State appropriated Smart Start funding allowed us to offer special support services to special needs children in our Head Start classrooms, and funded one-time improvements in play grounds and classroom supplies.

2000
After 25 years at the Westgate Shopping Center, we moved our main offices to a new building we designed and constructed at 25 Gaston Street.

2001
We received More at Four funding which allowed us to offer high quality child development options to "At Risk" 4-year olds. We now serve these children in our Head Start classrooms in addition to our other Head Start children in Buncombe and Madison Counties.

The Agency extensively improved and strengthened our Life Works Self Sufficiency Program to provide comprehensive services. Later in the year, we extended the program to address fatherhood issues by developing a Life Works for Fathers project.

2002
We launched an in-house database computer program that supports case management of and tracks customer progress of our Life Works Self Sufficiency Program customers according to the national Results Oriented Management and Accountability outcomes.

We received a Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of our Life Works Self Sufficiency Program from Mars Hill College which found the program to be
best practice".

2003
Life Works was nationally recognized as a "best practice" program by Virtual Community Action Programs, a national resource to support excellence in Community Action. This website provides an in-depth look at innovative programs and projects developed by Community Action Agencies around the United States.

NC Office of Economic Opportunity promoted Life Works Program statewide to Community Action Agencies as a "best practice" program to help families living on low income become self sufficient.

July 1, 2004
We changed our Agency name to "Community Action Opportunities" to clearly identify ourselves with the Community Action philosophy and network.

2005
Black Mountain Family Center became a service of the Agency. It provides a diversity of programs to Black Mountain and Swannanoa Valley families.

Buncombe County Department of Social Services began a partnership with the agency to provide the application process for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program that assists low income families to pay their winter heating bills.

2006
We named the web-based database program, "Accountable Results for Community Action," and with support from the NC Office of Economic Opportunity, offered it statewide to sister Community Action Agencies. The database supports CSBG-funded Self-sufficiency programs and the NC Weatherization Assistance and Heating and Air Repair and Replacement Programs.

2007
The Head Start Program Review Team conducted the tri-annual comprehensive federal audit and assessed the program to be 100% in compliance with all standards, rules and regulations; giving our Head Start Program the highest recognition.

Nearly 10 years after the NC Family Development Credential training initiative was launched, the volunteer board of the NC Family Resource Coalition selected and transferred stewardship and management of this statewide program to the Agency. Developed by Cornell University in 1995, this "best practices" curriculum and credentialing program for community-based professional and paraprofessional is offered in 18 states including NC. Duke University issues the NC credential to participants who successfully complete rigorous hours in the classroom, develop a portfolio and pass a written exam.

2008
Weatherization expanded services to Henderson and Transylvania Counties as it continued to serve Buncombe and Madison Counties.