Vanessa Philbert CEO of the Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County (CAP)
T
he Sector Long before the establishment of a formal community benefit sector, generosity has grown deeply in Lancaster County - an idyllic place woven through wandering farmland where farmers have nourished the bodies of their neighbors since its origins in the 1730s. A little more than half a century after the origin of the county itself, we see a first glimpse into the generous spirit of Lancaster County, when in 1793 it shared financial support and essential provisions with the City of Philadelphia amid an outbreak of the yellow fever. After the turn of the century, community benefit organizations began to take shape. The Female Benevolent Society organized in 1816 when fifty-three women gathered together to provide for those in Lancaster who could not provide for themselves. In 1861, The Patriots Daughters, led by Lancaster native Rosina Hubley, collected and distributed bandages, bedding, and clothing to Union soldiers in Gettysburg during the Civil War. Over time, this work for the betterment of the community evolved with the needs of all Lancastrians. Through the late 1800s and early 1900s, we gained many organizations still serving the community, including the Lancaster County Community Foundation, Lancaster Public Library, Lancaster Recreation Commission, Water Street Mission, and Crispus Attucks Community Center. The sector grew through significant historical moments like the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement, and it continues to grow today. Early on, much of the heart of this work in Lancaster was led by women who identified a need in their community and acted to meet those needs, a tradition that I am honored to carry on today as the first female CEO of Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County (CAP).
22 | LANCASTER THRIVING! | 150th Anniversary Commemorative Edition
The Action America was built on the promise that every family should have an opportunity for success. Yet, today’s uneven economy has put a good quality of life out of reach for many Americans. Community Action was born from President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty and from the advocacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 created the national Community Action Network of locally-focused organizations that connect millions to greater opportunity to empower individuals, families, and communities to succeed. The nation’s 1,000-plus Community Action Agencies embody our spirit of hope and share a commitment to honoring people where they are while supporting them to realize the life they aspire to. Community Action Agencies look deeply into our communities, utilize data and elevate the voices of those we serve. CAP of Lancaster is focused on creating a prosperity agenda that interrupts generational poverty with programs that assist families at every age and place in life. Founded in 1966, CAP has grown considerably, and today, more than three hundred CAP team members show up every day to support thousands of local families each year. Knowing that poverty is complex, and its contributing factors vary, CAP is committed to creating innovative, person-centered initiatives to augment our many long-standing and successful anti-poverty programs that advance the social and economic mobility of families. We are committed to transforming generational poverty into economic prosperity so that all can thrive. The Journey Life is a journey filled with high and lows – a journey laced with laments, lessons, and leaps. Our journeys are unique but there is much to learn from those who came before us. Growing