This book examines the legacy of Greek-American Community Services and its impact within Chicago and beyond. Between 1980 and 2000, GACS organized countless cultural and arts programs that spanned the state and featured some of the community's best, brightest, and most talented speakers and artists, launched one of the first adult day care centers in Chicago, provided social services to thousands in need, promoted greater inter-ethnic understanding and cooperation, and launched a groundbreaking movement that went on to build a Greek American nursing home in Wheeling, IL. The book also describes the organization's role during the early years of the Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly, an unprecedented Chicago coalition that today has 50 member organizations that span more than 100 languages and collectively serve thousands annually.Forty years after the meeting that launched GACS and 20 years after the opening of the nursing home, the GACS co-founders reunite to tell the story of this trailblazing organization and its amazing accomplishments. Authored by John Psiharis, with the active involvement of Dr. Elaine Thomopoulos, the book includes personal recollections, photos, and ephemera related to the period and a "who's who" and detailed chronological history of the organization.This book is the first of a series of four books in the Heartland of Hellenism series published by Greek American Press describing Chicago's Greek community during the latter part of the 20th century. Book two, to be released in 2024, chronicles the historic community wide efforts undertaken to establish a Greek American nursing in Wheeling, IL. In addition to the insider accounts, personal recollections and records of the co-founders, the book includes seldom seen photos and ephemera, a detailed chronology beginning on day one. and concluding in 2006, four years after the opening of the facility, and a "who's who" of key leaders and supporters.The third book, co-authored by Psiharis and Dr. Thomopoulos, will include a detailed description of Chicago's Greek community between the years 1980 and 2000 including extensive business and professional listings, biographies of community leaders, and photos and ephemera of the era. It is scheduled for release in 2025.