Athens-Clarke Commission to consider $550K in funding for local nonprofits

Athens-Clarke County commissioners are poised to allocate $550,000 among 11 local nonprofit social service providers, although there could be some adjustments made to the current proposal from the county’s Human & Community Development Department (HCD).

Commissioners reviewed the proposed funding allocations, a new plan for disbursing government funds to local social service nonprofit organizations, at this week’s agenda-setting session for their upcoming April 2 regular voting meeting. The proposed funding allocations could have been placed on the “consent agenda” for the April 2 meeting and passed then just as presented Tuesday.

But at the request of Commissioner Jesse Houle, the proposals were made part of the regular agenda for the April 2 commission session, meaning they could get some detailed discussion among commissioners, and perhaps some adjustments, before final funding decisions are made.

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“I’m curious, since this is our first time doing these projects, and there is what one could potentially call kind of an arbitrary overall dollar amount attached to this, whether we might want to consider some kind of CDO or something,” Houle said as he advocated moving the issue to the regular agenda for the April 2 meeting. CDO is shorthand for “commission-defined option,” a commission-approved change to agenda items as presented to commissioners prior to a final vote.

The new process under which the more than half-million dollars in Athens-Clarke County general fund revenue will be distributed under the Community Partnership Program (CPP) was approved by commissioners in December. The 11 initiatives recommended for funding were vetted and approved by the county’s Vision Committee, 10 people chosen by the mayor and commission to provide guidance on community development funding. The Vision Committee is facilitated through the Human & Community Development Department.

In some instances, the Vision Committee recommended less funding than the requesting nonprofits had sought through the CPP.

The single largest proposed allocation, totaling $120,000, is recommended for the Athens Area Homeless Shelter. The money would assist with shelter programs for families with children aimed at providing both immediate emergency assistance and long-term solutions for people experiencing homelessness.

Two other local nonprofit organizations that address homelessness-related issues are also slated for CPP funding. The Vision Committee recommends that $46,850 be allocated to The Sparrow’s Nest, an independent local ministry, for its Breaking the Cycle program, which works to help participants find employment and housing, in addition to other assistance.

The Abundant Life Program provided through Bigger Vision of Athens, a year-round shelter initiative, has been recommended for $38,800 in CPP funding to cover salary and service needs. Briefly, the Abundant Life Program helps people experiencing homelessness re-stabilize their lives through employment, job training and moving toward stable housing.

Other proposed allocations of CPP funding include $91,428 to Project Safe, which works to end domestic violence through strategies ranging from crisis intervention to ongoing support services to prevention and education initiatives. Project Safe proposes to use the funding to fund two staff positions to deal with high-risk domestic violence cases.

Also included in the Vision Committee recommendations is a $53,893 proposed outlay to the Athens Model Neighborhood Health Center Inc. The money would be used to fund personnel and supply costs for the center’s behavioral health program. More specifically, the CPP funding would cover services provided by the clinic’s on-site licensed clinical social worker.

A $50,000 outlay is proposed for Divas Who Win, which provides wellness services for Black women and girls overcoming sexual exploitation. The funding would be used for the nonprofit’s School Dayz Ambassador Program, which is designed to empower young women to prevent them from becoming victims of sex trafficking. According to information presented this week to commissioners, the School Dayz Ambassador Program features leadership development and entrepreneurship training, tutoring, mental health awareness and other initiatives aimed at girls and young women ages 12-18.

A $40,000 outlay of CPP funding is being recommended for Juvenile Offender Advocate Inc. The funding is slated to cover personnel costs for the program, which is targeted at Black and Hispanic young people. As part of the program, trained advocates help young people through any court processes, and aid with goal setting and job readiness training.

The Georgia Conflict Center’s Restorative Justice Diversion Program has also been recommended by the Vision Committee to receive community partnership dollars. The $35,129 proposed for the center would cover salary and administrative costs for the program, which works with young people involved in restorative justice initiatives, helping them to develop academic and life skills.

The Athens Area Diaper Bank also has been recommended for funding by the Vision Committee. The $33,000 requested by the nonprofit, which provides diapers to low-income families in Athens-Clarke and surrounding counties, will be used to expand diaper distribution through public health departments and nonprofit neighborhood clinics.

Last year, the Athens Area Diaper Bank distributed more than 400,000 diapers to nearly 10,000 children through a network of schools, churches and other organizations.

Also on the list of nonprofit organizations recommended for CPP funding is United Way of Northeast Georgia, for its free 211 telephone referral line. Services that can be accessed through the United Way’s 211 program include food pantries, financial assistance, eviction prevention services and transitional housing.

The $24,400 recommended for United Way of Northeast Georgia would fund operating costs for the 211 program.

Also recommended for funding by the Vision Committee is the Acceptance Recovery Center’s indigent funds program. The nonprofit center provides support in a residential setting to people recovering from substance abuse disorders.

The Vision Committee is recommending $16,500 in funding to assist the center’s program participants with medical bills, workplace support and recovery program fees.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Eleven Athens nonprofits might get tax funding for social service programs