Lifeline was founded on June 19, 1973 with the mission of helping Lake County's low-income residents by providing assistance and life skills programming that was designed to increase self-sufficiency. In 1980, Lifeline became a participating agency of the United Way of Lake County. In 1987, Lifeline was designated as Lake County's Community Action Agency by the Ohio Department of Development. And in 2008, Lifeline became certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health as a mental health agency.

Today Lifeline continues with much of the same mission of helping families break the cycle of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency. In spring of 2006, Lifeline staff and its Board of Trustees, completed a strategic planning process for the agency's future resulting in a reaffirmed motto ad programming goals. Lifeline's new motto "First to help, then to teach" recognizes the Lifeline's diverse programming in the areas of emergency services and self –sufficiency. Lifeline strives to help families in crisis and then teach them to become self-sufficient. Lifeline’s Board and staff believe firmly that self-sufficiency means something different to every consumer that we meet. To some it may mean securing affordable housing and keeping their utilities connected so that they have a safe home to return to. To others it may mean having access to healthcare so that they can properly maintain their health. And to others it might mean enrolling in school or job training programs so that they can pursue different career opportunities. Because we believe that poverty affects every household differently, we offer a wide variety of programs designed to combat the many effects of poverty. Currently our programming is divided into four main areas: Healthcare Assistance, Housing & Energy Assistance, Consumer Education & Job Training, and Information & Referral Services.

• In 2010, Lifeline’s Community Services Division assisted 1,250 households and 2,260 individuals. 
• Of the 2,260 individuals:
• 72% were Caucasian
• 18% were African American
• 7% were Hispanic
• 3% were other ethnicities

• Of the 1,250 households:
• 68% rented housing
• 13% owned their home
• 19% were homeless
• 46% had no health insurance
• 13% were disabled

• Of the 1,250 households:
• 55% were single individuals
• 19% were single parent households led by females
• 8% were two parent households
• 8% were couple households
• 1% were single parent households led by males
• 9% were other types of households (mixed generations, etc.)

• Of the 2,260 individuals:
• 32% had their high school diploma or GED
  • 29% had some level of post-secondary education, in addition to their high school diploma/GED
  • 8% completed a four year degree
• 20% did not graduate from high school or have a GED
  • 11% of those non-graduates had only an 8th grade education