history

WSEM was founded in 1966 by members and clergy of five West Side churches who realized that by pooling their human and financial resources, they could do a better job of meeting the needs of the community than they could as individual congregations. Over the years, the neighborhood and faith-based organizations and others supporting WSEM have changed, but what has remained constant is an understanding that working together we can accomplish more than by working alone.

In partnership with dozens of community-based organizations, over the years WSEM added food distribution, crisis support and vital community outreach services and resource referrals. In 2000, WSEM added behavioral health care and counseling services. Later, in 2004, WSEM merged with El Barrio to expand our workforce development program to include Hispanic services.