The dawning of the 1960's brought a new administration to Washington, and a new awareneses of the nature and extent of poverty in our "land of plenty".

The nature of the federal relationship with Community Action has changed and evolved over the past 30 years, but the basic purpose remains, "to assure an effective focusing of local, state, and federal resources... enabling disadvantaged citizens and their families to attain skills, knowledge, motivation, and opportunities to become self-sufficient". This purpose was made part of Maine law in 1983 when Governor Joseph Brennan signed the Maine Community Service Act.