BronxWorks first opened its doors in 1972. It was created under the name Citizens Advice Bureau and came to be popularly known by its initials CAB.
Mildred Zucker, an American social worker with the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, visited England. During her travels, she learned about Great Britain’s network of Citizens Advice Bureaus, which help people with advice and services. (There are currently more than 1,000 CAB walk-in information and referral offices in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Jamaica, and India.)
Impressed with this model, Ms. Zucker returned to the United States and worked with concerned Bronx residents – clergy, community activists, and other neighborhood inhabitants – to implement it in this borough. They adopted the name Citizens Advice Bureau, although we were not affiliated with those overseas organizations.
In 1972, when the South Bronx was undergoing profound social change, the Citizens Advice Bureau opened its first office in Morris Heights, which provided walk-in information and referral service. We have played a part ever since in the continuous effort to rejuvenate the Bronx from an impoverished, underserved area to a vibrant, diverse, and vital cluster of communities.
Over the years, we have grown tremendously, providing services to address the needs of all age groups from infants to senior citizens, as well as selected special needs populations. These include immigrants, homeless individuals and families, people impacted by HIV/AIDS, and adults making the transition from welfare to work. We now operate 28 offices throughout the borough. Our programs help 37,500 people a year.
In 2009, we changed our name to BronxWorks. Our original name no longer fit us because we do not just help citizens and we do a lot more than give advice. So even though Citizens Advice Bureau had great historical value, we decided to choose a new name that better represents what we are and what we do. BronxWorks is a more accurate reflection of our purpose, our commitment to the borough, and our positive feelings about the Bronx.
View the historical timeline.
