In alignment with CAF’s annual business luncheon held on Thursday, December 14, 2023, the event was aptly themed “Connect, Collaborate, Coordinate — Celebrating 60 years of Charlotte Community Action.” It was a reflective gathering that honored the agency’s national influence and local impact. Established a year before the Act’s passage, since 1963, CAF has spearheaded the fight against poverty in Mecklenburg County. The organization has been instrumental in launching and nurturing vital programs such as Head Start, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Legal Services of the Southern Piedmont, along with significant workforce and economic development initiatives under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
Despite the challenging backdrop of Charlotte Mecklenburg’s economic mobility status, CAF continues its unwavering commitment to uplifting the economically vulnerable segments of the community. We’re proud to share the successes of this historic event and invite continued support for our endeavors to empower Mecklenburg residents, ensuring that CAF’s dedication to fighting poverty resonates for many more years to come.
The Charlotte Area Fund (CAF) recently commemorated a historical benchmark: six decades since the enactment of the landmark 1964 Economic Opportunity Act, a cornerstone in the battle for civil rights championed by notable figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This pivotal legislation gave rise to over a thousand community action agencies, including CAF itself, with the shared objective of eradicating poverty across the nation.
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