June has come and gone and so has the 40th anniversary of Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Sonoma County, the standard bearer for the War on Poverty here since 1967.

Helga Lemke, executive director of CAP for 18 years, is also gone. She has accepted an appointment to the state Department of Community Services and Development in Sacramento.

Lemke's leadership and CAP's contributions to our community were well expressed by Press Democrat columnist Gaye LeBaron when she wrote that the CAP organization "has been the most productive human service agency on the North Coast."

Community Action Partnership was established in June 1967. In those days CAP was called Sonoma County People for Economic Opportunity (the name was changed in 2002), and the War on Poverty meant services like Head Start for low-income kids, jobs programs, health services and housing assistance.

Since its inception, the agency has established dozens of programs to help disadvantaged county residents achieve self-sufficiency. Some of those remain under CAP management today, while many other programs that the agency launched or helped launch have gone off on their own to be come integral parts of Sonoma County's safety net of assistance resources.

A social service genealogist would find evidence of CAP involvement in the formation of the Redwood Empire Food Bank, the Council on Aging, YWCA battered women's shelter, the Sonoma County Housing Authority, the farm worker clinic Alianza Del Pueblo, the Ya-Ka-Ama Indian Educational Center, the Human Services Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women.

CAP wrote the initial child care plan for the county that was later adopted by the Sonoma County Child Care Council and CAP's Family Planning program was adopted by the county public health department.

Under Lemke's guidance this tradition of incubating new social service programs has continued, been strengthened and dramatically expanded.

CAP started and operates Youth Build, a charter school and employment development program that enables at-risk kids to finish school and enter the building trades.

Roseland Children's Health Center is a CAP program located on the grounds of Roseland School which provides low-income children with family doctor care and a variety of prevention services. It was instrumental in identifying epidemic levels of anemia among Sonoma County's low-income children.

Working with Burbank Housing, United Way and Social Advocates for Youth, CAP established Tamayo House as a transitional home for young men and women who have "aged" out of foster care.

CAP worked closely with private enterprise to build transitional housing for homeless families and emergency housing for single mothers with young children. It then turned to helping families build their own homes through sweat equity programs.

Joining with local bankers, CAP established the American Dream Fund to help low-income families save for a house or college tuition under a program comparable to 401(k)s. And these are just a few of the agency's accomplishments.

Today CAP operates programs at more than 20 locations and assists thousands of Sonoma County residents annually. Under Lemke's skillful management, the agency's annual budget has grown to $11 million and a staff of 225 headquartered in Santa Rosa. CAP has built collaborative links with city and county political leaders, community groups and with the private sector.

Its accomplishments have gained the agency recognition and respect not only within the county but at the state and national level as well. Twice elected president of the California Community Action Association and chosen to serve on the National Community Action Foundation's board of directors, Lemke leaves behind an incredible legacy. Everyone who has worked with her appreciates the many years of selfless commitment she has given to community service and to the people of Sonoma County.

On July 30, Oscar Chavez (of the Community Action Agency in Kern County) will succeed Lemke as CAP's new executive director. Chavez is excited to lead such a vital and healthy organization, and the agency's board and staff are delighted to have found someone with his experience and dedication. The impressive work at Community Action Partnership continues, and all of us in Sonoma County are the beneficiaries.

Michele Filshie, Drake Sadler and Jim Shelton are all Sebastopol residents and members of the board of the Community Action Partnership.