The impetus for the Garrett County Community Action Committee grew from the adoption in 1964 of the Economic Opportunity Act and the vision of a group of people in Garrett County Maryland who pursued plans to organize a community action agency to confront the causes and effects of poverty. 

"The organization’s first activities focused on identifying interests and needs of six target communities and implementing a Head Start program for preschool age children and their families."

GCCAC was incorporated in 1965 as a private non profit corporation and started operation in 1966.  The founding board hired Brad Rinard as its executive director, a role that he maintained until 1980.   The organization’s first activities focused on identifying interests and needs of six target communities and implementing a Head Start program for preschool age children and their families.  The Mainstream job training project and an economic development initiative to attract jobs to the area soon followed.  Funding for the new organization came primarily from the U.S Office of Economic Opportunity, Department of Labor and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.   

The Corporation concentrated much of its initial work in the communities of Friendsville, Kitzmiller, Crellin, Deer Park, Jennings, and Finzel.   Head Start centers were opened in three communities.  Trainees in the Mainstream Program provided labor for a number of public works projects including the fire stations in Finzel, Bloomington, Accident, and Deer Park.  The new organization utilized the classic governance model of community action agencies with a board of directors composed equally of representatives from low income communities, elected officials and the private sector.  The economic development grant was spun off to the County and became the force for recruiting a Bausch and Lomb plant.  The plant became the largest private employer in the County.

In the 1970s GCCAC organized a number of programs including services for senior citizens, developmentally disabled adults, and alcoholism counseling.  Other program areas that the agency initiated included transportation, weatherizing homes, and parenting skills.  Some of the initiatives emerged as independent entities or were handed off to other sponsors.  During the decade of the 70s, GCCAC also started projects to assist low income persons with home heating costs and nutrition.  In the 1980s, the GCCAC launched an aggressive drive to develop and finance affordable housing and assumed expanded responsibility for administering a variety of rental assistance and emergency housing services.  GCCAC’s housing finance and development capacity matured into the 1990s to include facility construction and economic and business promotion.  The Agency’s crowning achievement was the completion of Yough and Glades Villages, the successful culmination of a ten year effort to resolve a failed low income housing project in Oakland.

In 1983 GCCAC, along with community action agencies around the country, survived a traumatic shift in federal policy that eliminated the Office of Economic Opportunity/Community Services Administration and substituted a new Block Grant with a substantial reduction in funding.  During the 1990s and continuing to today, GCCAC has diversified its income.   Earned income grew to 20% of revenue and amount of private investments and contributions made up another 20%.          

Entering the 21st century, GCCAC worked to sharpen its focus on community development and asset building strategies.  Community Action is now the largest developer and owner of affordable rental housing in the County.  New program initiatives included micro enterprise, individual development accounts, and home ownership.  The corporation also developed a number of commercial and community facilities.  A significant amount of effort is devoted to identifying and tracking GCCAC outcomes and in partnering with other community entities with common purposes and mission. 

"Community Action is now the largest developer and owner of affordable rental housing in the County."

Garrett County Community Action today is a mature community based organization employing over 180 full time employees with a net worth of over ten million dollars.  One third of the County’s households participate in one or more of the Agency’s activities.  10% of the housing units in the County were assisted or developed by Community Action projects.  The organization is an important tool used by its partners and the community to improve the quality of life in the County and to remove barriers to low income persons seeking greater self sufficiency.