During the academic year 2010/2011, AC studied its community and its students. During this time, we recognized that our community and our students were living in a growing poverty trend. As Amarillo’s population grew, educational attainment was decreasing and the number of individuals living in poverty was on the rise. AC was called into action to help our community and help our students. Four years later, Amarillo College’s No Excuses Poverty Initiative has developed from a single focus supported by grant funding to an institutionally-supported systemic approach. The initiative is comprised of four programs; Social Services, a Food Pantry, a Mentoring Program, and a Career Center, each providing direct services to students, and a technology-driven project designed to assist leadership, faculty, and staff with increasing student success.