With federal funding on the chopping block, a local service organization aimed at helping the needy has been forced to make drastic cuts.
Action, Inc. provides an array of services for citizens in need, including food assistance, employment and budget counseling, home energy assistance and weatherization. The northeast Georgia Action Inc. serves 10 Northeast Georgia counties, including Madison County.
The federal government is planning to cut Action funding by roughly 50 percent. And the Northeast Georgia Action is reducing its workforce by 11 employees, including the reduction of county managers from 10 to four.
Margo Fowler, who took over for long-time Madison County Action director Bobbie Rooker last June, has been laid off. Her last day was March 18. Madison County will now be served by Donna Erwin, who will handle Action services for Madison, Oglethorpe and Elbert counties. Erwin can be reached at 706-424-3298.
Action officials say the Danielsville office won’t be shut down, but those seeking assistance will need to call and make an appointment.
“We’re going to continue to offer the same services,” said localAction President/CEO Gary Gerrard. “Even if someone is not sitting in the office, there is someone to talk to anytime. And they can set up an appointment to be done within a week.”
Gerrard sent out a letter to Action board members March 11.
“In the President’s State of the Union Address (Jan. 25, 2011, he mentioned that he was willing to cut programs in fiscal year 2012 that he cared about and he specifically mentioned Community Services Block Grants (CSBG),” wrote Gerrard. “Then, shortly thereafter, the House of Representatives included in its continuing resolution (HR1) a 50-percent cut in the CSBG in the fiscal year 2011 (the one we’re working in now.”
Gerrard said Action has been budgeted $912,000 for the current fiscal year, but that the agency is now anticipating receiving less than half of that for the year.
“Given the budget outlook for the remainder of the current fiscal year, we had no choice but to either incorporate very deep cost cutting measures into the plan or discontinue services for a significant portion of the current fiscal year,” wrote Gerrard.
However, the Action head says the funding situation still remains very murky, “a moving target,” adding that it’s unclear exactly how much the federal government will cut from Action and when those cuts will take place.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Gerrard.
The Northeast Georgia Action has faced financial difficulties in years past due to mismanagement of funds by a previous director. The program at one time had a debt of $1.8 to $2 million, Gerrard said. But the agency, under the direction of Gerrard and previous director John Scoggins, cut that debt significantly. Gerrard said the debt is now down to $750,000 to $800,000, which includes the mortgage on the Action headquarters.
Still, the agency now faces the triple-whammy of new federal cuts, the cessation of stimulus funding and the ongoing debts.
Madison County commission chairman Anthony Dove said that losing a county director will affect services, but he said he hopes to see positions eventually restored. And Gerrard said Action plans to bring back the laid off employees if funding is restored.
Dove emphasized that the Madison County Food Bank is separate from Action and that it is not affected by the cuts. He said the food bank may have to increase its hours due to the Action cuts. And he encouraged Madison County residents to contribute to the local food bank.
“All donations go directory into food” said Dove. “There is a lot of return for every dollar donated.”
Rooker, the long-time Action director who still oversees the food bank, said she is saddened by the cuts, noting that the need for assistance programs is really up due to the down economy.
She noted that the food bank is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about the food bank, call 706-795-5465.
