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Housing authority receives Ross Grants
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By BARBARA GOLDMAN, Staff Writer
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The Housing Authority of Maysville was presented with two grants totalling $500,000 Wednesday afternoon.
Congressman Geoff Davis presented the agency with a check for the Ross Grants, which focus on self sufficient issues. The grants received are aimed at supportive services for the elderly and computer education.
"This will help that person build a future," said Davis." When lives get changed it's because of the folks out there changing relationships and lives."
Davis complemented the work of the private sector.
"This will mean a lot to keep this program running," said Jerry Ormes, chairman of the board."Thank you."
The grants renew the supportive services for the elderly by $50,000, making both grants for $250,000 each.
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| Congressman Geoff Davis presented the agency with a check for the Ross Grants. |
"This will help provide additional staff hours to provide services for the elderly," said David Sugarbaker, program development and funding for the housing authority.
Sugarbaker wrote the two renewed grants, a process that took four months.
The supportive services coordinator and aids are ready to do whatever it takes to help their clients continue to live independently and with a quality of life, said Sugarbaker. The first task under the expanded grant program will be to educate and inform eligible residents of the supportive services available. Aids will re-visit all elderly persons in the program with disabilities to let them know one on one about the services.
Approximately 142 of the housing authority's residents are elderly and or disabled. Only 89 of them are currently registered with the supportive services program. All participating residents will be assessed and re-assessed on a regular basis to determine their appropriateness for supportive service. According to Sugarbaker, the program is in large part driven by clients' expressed needs.
As a result of the PC's assessment of clients needs, the PC will assign aids from Maysville Initiatives to assist clients with:
-- Meal services
-- Transportation
-- Congregate services
-- Wellness program and
-- Assistance with ADLs such as personal care, housekeeping, and errands.
This program helps elderly who can't cook, get to the grocery, have confusion about enforcing a reasonable diet when at the grocery, or physically can't handle cooking.
The PC and aids determined that they couldn't ignore this need among their clients prior to receiving the grant. Through the help of funding received by the Lions Club and the Maysville Initiatives, they have been preparing and delivering healthy, balanced meals for roughly 20 clients. Aids take turns preparing one meal a day, six days a week in the Housing Authority's commercial kitchen at the Beechwood Center.
Sugarbaker said it has made a difference. In addition to meal services, the grant helps aids take clients, not send them to the doctor. Their presence has be crucial in some cases, said Suagarbaker.
Clients are also assisted with errands, bill-paying, budget planning and shopping. Financial stability is crucial for continued independent living, said Sugarbaker. Aids work with clients in the unhappy situation of having predatory neighbors or "friends" who show up at the beginning of the month to steal their cash. Services provide a lockable security box clients can keep cash and other valuables in, and work with the Housing Authority and police to put an end to the activity.
The grant has also enabled the purchase of a van that will allow shopping trips for three or four clients at a time, in addition to congregate events.
The Education Pays Computer Center Grant Renewal Program has helped to enhance an important constellation of services to residents, said Sugarbaker.
The most successful aspect of the Neighborhood Networks lab has been the mastering computer basics classes, said Sugarbaker. These classes are already changing the skill set of Maysville's work force, he said.
A financial literacy "Money Smarts" class will be a new aspect of resident training, with the help of the grant. The course will address obtaining and using a checking account, creating a household budget, developing a strategy for savings, understanding compound interest, improving your credit rating, and avoiding predatory lending and exorbitant check-cashing fees, and other issues that arise from expressed interest and needs from residents.
Life skills classes will also be taught and address issues like dressing for success, how to fight fare, and parenting classes.
An after school program will also be offered three days a week for 2.5 hours per day, 36 weeks a year. Three tutors will staff the program in addition to the PC and RA.
GED training will also be provided to residents.
The new funding will allow a program offering funds for child care and transportation stipends to residents participating in any of the educational opportunities of the Computer Center.
Contact Barbara Goldman at barbara.goldman@lee.net or by calling 606-564-9091, ext. 274. |
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