Lower Columbia Community Action Program (CAP) was formed in 1964, as part of President Johnson’s War on Poverty, which makes it one of the longest running self-help programs for low-income families in the U.S.

Today there are over 1,100 community action programs across the nation, including 31 in Washington State, who carry on the legacy by helping people achieve their dreams for a better life.

Basic to the philosophy of community action is that the community itself identifies and works together to solve its most pressing problems. Over the years, in response to needs in our community, Lower Columbia CAP has founded a number of programs that grew into important, vital organizations themselves; including the Family Health Center, the Emergency Support Shelter, Ethnic Support Council, Head Start, and the Saturday Farmers Market. For more than 45 years, Lower Columbia CAP has worked to realize its mission of “building healthy communities, one family at a time.”

A MESSAGE FROM CAP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ILONA KERBY:

Success means different things to different people. Success may mean achieving your GED, building your own home, or getting your first living wage job. For an older person, it may mean living out your last years in the comfort and security of your own home. For a single, working parent, success may be finding safe and nurturing child care for her child.

At CAP, we are in the business of helping people realize their goals for a better life for themselves and their families. By giving them a hand up—not a hand out—CAP is helping people be successful in their lives, and that means a better, stronger, healthier community for us all.