"War on Poverty" was a ".program of education, job creation, and training. It was designed to try to enhance the quality of all American life, and to do so with as much community control as possible." (5) It provided the ".first-ever national program of health benefits for the poor and the elderly." (5).

             This program proposed five steps that would help end poverty in America. One was that ".it would give about half a million underprivileged young Americans the opportunity to develop skills, continue education, and find useful work," (2:208) provided by the Job Corps. Another step was that it would give every American community a chance to come up with its own plan on how to fight poverty. This program would also help those communities carry out the plans by all possible means. The third step was that "War on Poverty" would boost the number of volunteers by giving people a chance to participate in this war against poverty. These volunteers were called VISTAs and, "Ranging from ages 18 through 81, these VISTAs traveled all over the country to help eliminate poverty." (6) The fourth step was that it ".will give many workers and farmers the opportunity to break free through particular barriers which bar their escape from poverty." (2:208) Finally, this battle against poverty will give the nation, as a whole, a chance to combine efforts, work together, and attack poverty with organized plans and a bunch of hope. It ignited the nations want and need to help people less fortunate than themselves and give the hopeless some hope. One thing that often is confused with this program is that welfare sprouted from "War on Poverty," but, "Welfare.was in fact created in 1935 as part of the New Deal." (8).

             There were many successes of the "War on Poverty" and unfortunately, a couple of failures. The success came from the hundreds of thousands of young Americans who have obtained the skills that enabled them to get a useful and paying job.