Our History....

As a result of the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act, The Economic Opportunity Foundation, Inc. has been in existence since 1965. Known as EOF, we are a Community Action Agency located in Wyandotte, Kansas.  EOF is one of eight (8) Community Action Agencies in the State of Kansas. EOF has been serving people to help themselves for almost forty-five (45) years through its Community Services and Head Start Programs.

OUR MISSION.....

  To mobilize necessary resources to address the causes and conditions of poverty in Wyandotte County. To assist low-income residents in moving towards self-sufficiency

 Economic Opportunity Foundation Inc.  In Action:

 The agency’s Head Start program which directly serves 810 children and their families, and indirectly serves 68 children and their families through a delegate agency program in Bonner Springs, KS continues as the agency’s largest program operating unit.  

 Along with the Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) funded by the USDA through the Kansas Department of Education, the Early Reading First program funded by the U.S. Department of Education through various departments of the University of Kansas and the Kansas City Kansas Unified School District 500, the agency’s Head Start and related programs represented $6.8M or about 80% of Total Support & Revenues.

 In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010, the EOF Head Start Program developed and operated the “Computer Education 2010” program for young children through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education under an earmark enabled by Kansas Senator Pat Roberts. The $95,000 grant funded the purchase of laptop computers used in the classrooms and paid the costs of the specially trained teachers who worked in the classrooms with the children.

 The Economic Opportunity Foundation, Inc. (EOF) Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Social Services Component provides programs and services designed to address the immediate and longer term needs of low-income families and individuals in Wyandotte County.

 Persons who received services were 18 years of age or older and within 125% of the Federal Poverty Income Poverty Guidelines. From July 2009 through September 2010, the Income

Guidelines were temporarily increased to 200% of the Federal Income Poverty Guidelines as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. ARRA, more commonly known as the Stimulus or Recovery Act was an economic stimulus package designed in part to aid the low-income and unemployed; to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery; and to assist those most impacted by the recession.

  In all, the Social Services Component provided two thousand and fifty-eight (2,058) services benefitting/impacting five thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine (5,959) individuals.

The Social Services Component assisted eligible families/individuals in the areas of employment/job development; housing services/assistance; self/sufficiency/case management and emergency assistance.

 The Employment Services Program provided drug screenings, pre-employment skills training, job placement and monitoring, and limited transportation (including gas cards and bus passes).

 The Housing Services Program provides rent/mortgage payments to prevent eviction / foreclosure, housing counseling which includes landlord/ tenant rights and responsibilities, mortgage default (foreclosure options), rent/mortgage mediation and advocacy.

 Emergency Services –gas/electric bill payments to prevent termination of/or to restore services and emergency food assistance (food vouchers/food pantry). Non-emergency food assistance (commodity distribution) was also provided.