CARE is a fully registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, all volunteer, originally organized to stop the construction of a waste-to-energy incinerator in Lockport. People would not give up their free time if they were not truly concerned about what happens to the environment in Will County.

But air and water pollution know no boundaries. What happens in one community will eventually affect us all. In 2025, we celebrate thirty years of hard work and many significant successes.

Resolving a local environmental issue is truly a long journey. The real day-to-day legwork, sometimes frustrating and even boring, is done by small grassroots groups like CARE, not by larger environmental organizations or state/federal agencies with far more resources.

In the 1970s, the U.S. Congress passed a slew of regulations aimed at addressing damage to the environment and threats to human health from over 100 years of unchecked industrial development. These regulations continue to form a strong framework for the Environmental Protection Agency's objectives.

Proposed changes and amendments to regulations will always be needed. However, involvement of ordinary citizens is what gets this done today, not waiting for the legislature at the federal or state level to step up, as was the case over fifty years ago. Lawsuits brought on behalf of ordinary citizens by environmental nonprofits are crucial to this effort.

CARE has partnered with the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic and other, larger environmental nonprofit organizations like Sierra Club and Earthjustice to assist us with regulatory concerns and citizen lawsuits in Will County.

Our work provides hands-on experience for law and business school students at Chicago universities. We also help local-area high school students complete community service hours needed for graduation.

Heavy industry has long been the legacy in and around Will County. CARE aims to establish a new legacy of respect for the environment and human health by advocating for business products, services, and processes that prioritize sustainability and promote economic resilience in this new era of climate change and resource depletion.

CARE relies on donations and fundraising to meet the minimal expenses incurred from running a registered nonprofit comprised of volunteers. Typical expenses include website hosting, email campaign software, a “snail mail” post office box, printing, and simple promotional merchandise.