History of Williamson-Burnet County Opportunities
1965

• Chartered as designated Community Action Agency for Williamson and Burnet Counties. 
• Organization came about as a result of interest on part of Burnet County concerned citizens who approached Williamson County citizens to form a combined service area with a population base of 50,000. 

April 1, 1966

• Agency opens in office in Williamson County Courthouse.
• Rawleigh Elliott hired as first Director. 
• Earliest programs were Neighborhood Youth Corps, Summer Head Start and two day care centers that were delegate agencies receiving Head Start funds. 

1967-68

• Neighborhood centers in Taylor and Marble Falls are opened.

1969

• Summer Head Start phasing out, full year phasing in. 
• Flogene Ebeling hired as Head Start Director. 
• Burnet Head Start Center opens August 18th.
• WBCO becomes a distributor of government commodities in Burnet County.
• Neighborhood Youth Corps program now encompasses 27 counties.

1970-71

• Family Planning program added.

1972-73

• Family Planning program regionalized.
• Bartlett Head Start opens.
• Neighborhood Center programs include Emergency Food and Medical, Summer Nutrition, Recreation, and VISTA.

1974

• Round Rock Head Start closes – school district needs space. 
• First grant for services to elderly received in October.

1975

• Community Food and Nutrition program begins.
• Madella Hilliard, who had been serving seniors out of her home for many years, passes away.  

1976

• Title XX contract for Round Rock Child Development center begins.
• Madella Hilliard Neighhorhood Center opens in Georgetown on 8th Street, in partnership with the City of Georgetown.  

1977

• Title III Nutrition Program for Williamson County begins.
• Title XX Home Delivered meals for Burnet County begins.

1982

• WBCO forms Burnet Senior Housing Opportunities and constructs Highview Retirement Village in Marble Falls.

1985

• Day Home program added to Title XX childcare.

1986

• Rawleigh Elliott retires in July and John Cardwell named Executive Director.

1987

• Williamson County Crisis Center becomes WBCO Program. 

1988

• Flogene Ebeling named Executive Director.

1989

• Flogene Ebeling resigns in January, Robert Howard named Executive Director.
• Round Rock Head Start opens facility on Brown Street.

1990

• Crisis Center opens shelter for battered women and their families.

1991

• Adult Day Care opens

1992

• Head Start opens program in Leander at Bagdad site.

1993

• 12 affordable single-family homes built in Mason Creek subdivision, Leander.

1995

• Mary Bailey Head Start moves from facility on 8th Street to College Street in the park; expands enrollment by 20 children. 

1997

• Received special CSBG funds to assist victims of Jarrell tornado

1999

• Early Head Start programs open in Burnet at ISD campus and Leander at Bagdad site.
• Grant received from TxDOT to purchase van to transport ADC clients.

2000

• Blended Pre-K/Head Start collaboration with ISD begins in Marble Falls.
• New Harris-Ross Head Start center opens in Taylor
• New Administration facility opens on High Tech – first administration office for WBCO to own and not rent.
• Received $40,000 grant for Meals on Wheels from Philip Morris
• Head Start centers at Liberty Hill and Rawleigh Elliott Head Start open

2001

• Emergency Shelter Grants Program (ESGP) funds awarded for homelessness prevention.

2002

• Dedication ceremony for Harris-Ross Head Start conducted
• Received grant to conduct Food Stamp Outreach.
• Madella Hilliard Center renovated with funding from Lola Wright Foundation
• WBCO begins Older Adult Rural Services (OARS) caregiver program in Burnet

2003

• Early Head Start classroom for three year olds added in Georgetown.
• New Head Start center in Burnet opens on BCISD campus
• WBCO receives Robert Wood Johnson Faith in Action funding for Older Adult Rural Services (OARS) caregiver program in Burnet, program eventually expands to include Blanco and Llano counties

2004

• OARS becomes a function of Marble Falls Housing Authority.
• Robert Howard resigns as Executive Director in November 2004.

2005

• Andrew Shell named Executive Director in January.
• Head Start Collaboration with Burnet ISD restored.
• Cedar Ridge Phase II (72 additional units) Affordable Housing Apartments in Leander opens. 
• Round Rock CDBG grant approved for weekend meal supplements for home delivered meals.
• Marble Falls Neighborhood Center Outreach Worker housed at Seriff Foundation Family Service Center one day per week.
• Received special CSBG funds to assist displaced families from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

2006

• Started pre-prepared meals in Marble Falls and Burnet
• Received $20,000 TX DOT grant for Adult Day Care transportation.
• Round Rock Sr. Nutrition moved into new Alan Baca Center.
  
  
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