Tri-County Opportunities Council

The Tri-County Opportunities Council (TCOC) is a Community Action Agency serving the nine Illinois counties of Bureau, Carroll, LaSalle, Lee, Marshall, Ogle, Putnam, Stark and Whiteside. Its purpose is to investigate the impact of poverty throughout the nine county service area and work, in partnership with individuals, families and communities to provide opportunities that supports movement towards stability and self-sufficiency. More specifically, the Council’s goals are: · To strengthen and enable low-income people to become self-sufficient through the attaining of necessary skills, knowledge, motivations and opportunities as well as improving the conditions in which they live. · To better organize a wide range of services and outcomes related to the needs of low-income people by the utilization of innovative approaches in attacking the causes of poverty including the support of self-help groups and cooperative efforts of low-income people. · To encourage the participation of low-income people in the planning, development and implementation of programs/projects and in the decision making processes of governmental entities affecting their lives. · To increase the capacity of the agency and its community to achieve results by planning and coordinating federal, state, local and private assistance related to the elimination of poverty through partnerships with public officials, private organizations, business, industry and individuals. Hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. TCOC offers a variety of services through multiple programs ncluding the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, the Early Head Start/Head Start program, the Foster Grandparent program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) program and the Weatherization program. Tri-County Opportunities Council also offers services in LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam and Stark Counties.