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Then
The brick building at
101 Summit Avenue was constructed as a U.S. Post Office around the end
of the 19th century. It features imposing columns on the front façade
and a prominent bald eagle in the frieze. There are three vaults
remaining in the building, one of which still has all the original doors
and combination locks. A metal rung ladder leads from a utility closet
to a windowless, doorless safe room, curiously located above the closet
yet below the floor of the attic. Perhaps the mysterious sounds heard
after hours and the occasional toilet-flush in an empty restroom are
evidence of a former - and maybe current - occupant of the building?
Now
The
building was turned over to the Washington County Commissioners in the
late 1930s for use as an annex. Some time in the 1960’s, the
Cooperative Extension Service moved into the upper level. In 1964
then-President Lyndon Johnson declared War on Poverty and started the
Community Action movement. A newly-formed Community Action Council
took up residence in the lower level the following year. In 1990
the Extension Service moved, and CAC took over the entire building.
The Board of Commissioners of Washington County deeded the building to
CAC in September 2003. Since then, nearly all customer services
have been located to our handicapped-accessible upper level adjacent to
the parking lot.
In 2005, CAC
celebrated its 40th anniversary. There was no great fanfare, not
even a cake or a press release. CAC is content to go about its
business of Helping People, Changing Lives. There are about 1,100
community action agencies across the nation, and 16 in the State of
Maryland, all dedicated to changing the lives of their neighbors in
poverty. As the county’s designated community action agency, CAC
is dedicated to helping county residents become self-sufficient
contributing members of the community. The programs we offer can
be seen throughout the annual report.
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America's
Poverty Fighting Network
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A United Way Agency |
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