Introducing LifeWorks Community Action

Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council (EOC) is proud to kick off 2021 by reintroducing ourselves as LifeWorks Community Action.

“We’re proud to stand at the intersection of the economic equality and social justice movements,” said LifeWorks Executive Director Jo Anne Hume. “By becoming LifeWorks, we’re honoring our mission and legacy of community action – neighbors helping neighbors.”

The Change from Saratoga County EOC to LifeWorks Community Action

The original Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council name reflected the fact that our agency was established as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Economic Opportunity Act created a network of community action agencies across the country to solve poverty at the local level as part of the War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movements. We are still part of this network of 1,000+ community action agencies, together serving 98 percent of counties in the country today.

However, as time went on fewer people knew about the Economic Opportunity Act and the name, without context, caused more people to begin to associate us with a government agency. We decided it was time to re-evaluate how we were presenting ourselves to the community.

A series of interviews and surveys were conducted with customers, staff members, volunteers and donors. This process confirmed that the experience that participants had working with staff and volunteers was warm and friendly - but you wouldn’t guess it from the name Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council.

That’s when we decided to become LifeWorks Community Action.

Our New Look as LifeWorks Community Action

The new LifeWorks Community Action name centers the focus on the commitment that staff, volunteers and partners have to be part of a solution and the spirit of hope for a better future. It reflects the warm, welcoming community environment that participants are greeted with, where they are taken care of as a whole person.

The new name also recognizes the regional impact the nonprofit has, serving Saratoga County as well as the Northern Capital Region.

At the same time, we updated our logo. The new logo is an arch, which radiates our hope for a bright future for all neighbors and is reinforced by the new tagline “Help Starts Here.” This is a powerful statement for all neighbors - that we will connect you with the help you need whether that’s our services here at LifeWorks or elsewhere in the community.

Looking Forward

Each year, we have helped thousands of neighbors overcome the challenges of poverty by providing food, early childhood education, energy services, women, maternal and childhood health and wellness services, and immigrant services.

We are excited to grow and expand our services thanks to proud partnerships with GlobalFoundries and SEFCU. In fact, our Family Services Department has grown and helping families navigate the safety net system in Saratoga County and the surrounding regions.

“What I’ve always been impressed with is that we’re on the journey with our neighbors,” said LifeWorks Board President David Bennett. “We meet you where you are and come alongside you to provide support. We’ll connect you to the resources here at LifeWorks. If we don’t have what you need, we’ll connect you to someone who does. All you have to do is start here.”

To learn more, continue exploring LifeWorks’ new website, lifeworksaction.org, or call 518-288-3206.