In 1973, North Coast Opportunities decided to spin off its Comprehensive Employment and Training Act grant to a new nonprofit corporation called Center for Education and Manpower Resources (CEMR). For the next five years, we administered a variety of grants, which were all centered on training workers and proving them with jobs in our local community.

In 1978 we were selected to administer the Migrant Head Start Program in northern California and two years later we created the Mendocino Fisheries Program with a grant from the California Department of Fish and Game. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Lake County was granted to CEMR in 1983 by the State Department of Health. Then in 1987 CEMR was chosen as the new grantee for the Head Start Program in Yuba and Sutter Counties

Although some of our early grants have ended, our organization continued to grow and both its name and mission changed by the year 2000 to E Center, a private nonprofit corporation that builds healthy communities through education, employment, and environmental awareness.