Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc. (HACAP) began service for Linn County in 1965, following the enactment of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. This act provided for the development of community action programs that provide: "services, assistance, and other activities...to give promise of progress toward elimination of poverty." (EOA of 1964, Sec. 202a). This federal law provided for community-based efforts to minimize the negative impacts of low-wage incomes upon families and the community overall.