GECAC Greater Erie Community Action Committee

The Greater Erie Community Action Committee, better known as GECAC, is Erie County’s Community Action agency. Our nonprofit 501(c)3 organization was created to change people’s lives, improve our community and make it a better place to live. Whether you are working at minimum wage, a senior living on a fixed income or a wage earner suddenly out of work, Community Action is here to help you meet your emergency needs and start you on the road to self-sufficiency. One of more than 1,100 community action agencies nationwide, GECAC is bound by the Promise of Community Action:

Community Action changes people’s lives, embodies the spirit of hope, improves communities and makes America a better place to live. We care about the entire community and are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other as they move from poverty to self-sufficiency.

The diversity of our services provides the opportunity to reach the needs of the total family. GECAC operates Erie County’s Area Agency on Aging, Head Start, GECAC Adult Learning Center, Older Adult Protective Services as well as programs in Upward Bound, Senior Centers, Job Training, Weatherization, Senior Corp Volunteer Program, Housing and Utility Assistance, Meals on Wheels and is a founding partner of Erie Together.

GECAC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and staffed by nearly 320 employees charged with the delivery of services. GECAC is supported through contributions from individuals, corporations and organizations as well as grants from local, state and federal sources.

General Information
Since 1965, GECAC has been quietly feeding our communities, caring for our elderly, teaching our children, preventing homelessness and educating and counseling adults. But the face of poverty is changing.

We were once a nation that had the largest middle class in history, but now we are becoming a nation that is deeply divided between the haves and have nots. Today, competition for even the lowest paying jobs has created a situation in which millions of Americans are working as hard as they can and yet they still cannot get ahead. It’s one impossible choice after another. Feed their children or pay the rent.

GECAC invests in individuals and their families who are striving to develop their skills. We have established programs that provide the resources needed to break the cycle of poverty, be self-sufficient and achieve financial independence.

Poverty is a community issue that calls for community solutions and community action. As we celebrate 50 years of helping people and changing lives, we call on you to Take Action.