Timeline on the History of CEDA

1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act into law, which stated that every individual must have the opportunity to contribute to society to the full extent of his/her capabilities. This meant training and educating Americans in order to eradicate the root causes of poverty in the United States, and creating a new Office of Economic Opportunity. The following year, the Cook County Office of Economic Opportunity (CCOEO) was created by the Cook County Board of Commissioners to serve suburban Cook County.

In 1967, CCOEO was recognized as a Community Action Agency and received federal funding to administer the first Head Start program in suburban Cook County. Community Development Areas (CDAs) are developed to most effectively deliver programs to low-income residents, and CCOEO began its Comprehensive Housing Program.

In 1975, CCOEO changed its name to the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA). In the following years, CEDA offered more programs to the residents of Cook County, including Weatherization, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). By 1982, CEDA and Preferred Meal Systems, Inc. had formed the Community Nutrition Network, a partnership between the public and private sectors, in order to provide healthy meals to area seniors. In the late 80s and early 90s, CEDA expanded many programs, such as WIC, Weatherization and LIHEAP, to serve the residents of both suburban Cook County and the City of Chicago. The Community Initiatives Fund and the Community Development Fund were developed by 1999, adding to CEDA's financial services programs.

CEDA truly started at the grassroots level, in community centers, schools, storefronts and churches. It is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of the people it serves. By offering a variety of community development and social service programs, CEDA's goal is to assist individuals and families in becoming economically self-sufficient.