HISTORY - Three Rivers Community Action, Inc. (formerly the Goodhue-Rice-Wabasha Citizens Action Council) was created in 1966 by local citizens as part of the nationwide "WAR ON POVERTY". The Economic Opportunity Act was the official document that created the opportunity for the development of Community Action Agencies across the United States. The Economic Opportunity Act sought to reduce the effects of poverty, while also creating a voice for the poor and disenfranchised.

In the professional community of human services, Three Rivers Community Action plays an important role. We have been leaders in advocating for our clients at the local, state and federal levels. We have developed a comprehensive networking system with various human service agencies in order to best serve our clients. These collaborative relationships allow agencies to maximize their resources to serve families and communities. We have been change agents within our communities, paving the way for understanding and acceptance.

Without the services of Three Rivers Community Action, many people would go unserved. With the ever widening disparity between the rich and poor, it is apparent that our services are desperately needed. It is absolutely vital that Community Action Agencies continue to thrive in our communities, so that voices of low-income citizens in our communities can continue to be heard. We insure that low-income voices are heard through their representation on the agency Board of Directors, Head Start Policy Council and various other advisory committees and taskforces. We recognize that we cannot solve these problems on our own; therefore the Board of Directors, Policy Council representatives and other volunteer informants are recruited from both private and public sectors. It is our goal to work in collaboration with the entire community to eliminate the effects of poverty.

Three Rivers Community Action, Inc. serves primarily low-income families. However, we also serve the community - at - large by creating a healthier environment for all citizens regardless of economic status. The agency serves people in a variety of ways, including: homeownership, keeping them warm and sheltered, employing them, healing them, educating them, feeding them and involving them.

We have grown over the past 40+ years from serving 100 clients to 6,000 clients. Our budget has increased from the original $60,000 federal grant to over 5 million dollars including federal, state, local and private resources.