Office of the Mayor
Proclamation
WHEREAS: Community Action Agencies were
created when the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was signed into law; and
WHEREAS: The East Central Kansas Economic
Opportunity Corporation (ECKAN) was established in 1966; and
WHEREAS: ECKAN has a 50-plus year history of
promoting self-sufficiency for the limited income individuals and families who
live in Douglas County; and
WHEREAS: ECKAN has made
essential contributions to individuals and families in Douglas County by
providing them with innovative and cost-effective programs such as Early Head
Start, Back-to-School Supplies, and the Christmas Bureau; and
WHEREAS: Community Action Agencies are
needed as major participants in the reform of the welfare system as we know it;
and
WHEREAS: Individuals
and families on limited income continue to need opportunities to improve their
lives and their living conditions, thus ensuring that all citizens are able to
live in dignity; and
WHEREAS: The poverty
rate in Douglas County is 19% and there are 21,721 individuals that meet the
Federal poverty guidelines.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Leslie Soden, Mayor of the City
of Lawrence, Kansas, do hereby proclaim May 2017 as
in Douglas
County in recognition of the hard work and dedication of Kansas Community
Action Agencies.
Leslie
Soden, Mayor
May
2, 2017