Write a commentMay is National Community Action Month, a time to celebrate the efforts of Community Action Agencies across the country as they fight poverty.
It highlights their role in helping low-income families move out of poverty and achieve economic security.
Each year, Community Action Agencies serve 20 million people in rural, suburban and urban communities across the country through a variety of targeted programs, such as Head Start, Weatherization, job training and placement, financial education, housing, energy assistance and transportation.
Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. (OCO) is the Community Action Agency for Oswego County. OCO is a private, not-for-profit organization that was launched in 1966 as part of the Johnson Administration War on Poverty.
Today, there are approximately 1,200 Community Action Agencies in the United States.
Recently, County Legislator Kevin Gardner, District 13, acting chairman of the Oswego County Legislature, met with several representatives of OCO and presented a proclamation in recognition of the agency's impact on Oswego County residents.
OCO serves 30,000 residents annually through more than 50 human service programs in the following categories:
• Crisis and Development Services
• Education Services
• Health Services
• Nutrition Services
• Residential Services
• Transportation Services
OCO provides educational services to all ages, support for youth, assistance and housing for the homeless and disabled, meals for the elderly, youth and the homebound, addiction recovery services, reproductive health services, job readiness development, literacy services, independence for the disabled, safety for the abused, and transportation for all.
OCO operates program sites in more than 80 locations throughout Oswego County, partnering with school districts, religious institutions, community groups, government, fraternal organizations, business and industry, and other non-profit agencies to improve the quality of life and create successful communities. The agency has an annual operating budget of $33 million and is one of the top 10 largest private employers in Oswego County.
More than 90 cents out of every $1 spent by OCO goes into program services.
For more information, contact the agency at 315-598-4717 or visit OCO's website at www.oco.org.
