PCCI was born in the spring of 1964 when members of two suburban community churches organized a summer program for children in one of the poorest, most neglected neighborhoods in Newark. That program, known as The Center, officially closed on Labor Day, 1964, but the need among the people was too great for the program to end. In February 1965, The Center re-opened as Presbyterian Community Centers and later changed its name to Protestant Community Centers, Inc.
