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Center Wants To Make Connection

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By LENORA LAKE

llake@tampatrib.com

Published: March 25, 2009

UNIVERSITY AREA - A social services center is having a hard time finding 20 families to commit to trying to achieve self-sufficiency.

The University Area Community Resource Center, a county-operated facility, had planned to have the families in the pilot group for the Family Development Program under contract by March 10. However, as of March 18, only 13 families had been secured, the center's staff told its advisory board members at the group's meeting that day.

The center is one of five countywide participating in the program funded by a community service block grant. Each of the county's five neighborhood service centers is responsible for implementing the program, but each is preparing its own way to do so.

The goal is to have more families become independent and diminish the need to rely on the social services department for emergency assistance, food donations or other needs.

Under the program, the families would sign a contract, be assessed for needs and establish goals. Those needs might include child care, transportation, training for a new job, clothes for interviews, resume-writing assistance or financial literacy for understanding credit and budgeting. They would receive help in meeting those needs, and reports would be filed for up to two years on the clients' progress.

Velma Rodgers, one of four social services specialists working with the program, said she had one client make the commitment. She also had interviewed several other families for the program, but they had not signed the contract.

"A lot of people look at what the perks are for the time commitment," Rodgers said.
Lucious Davis, manager of the center at 13605 N. 22nd St., said the center is expanding the ways that is seeks to recruit the participants, who must not make more than 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

Previously, only the four specialists assigned to the project looked for possible candidates, but now all intake workers will help identify potential participants from the 50 to 60 clients who visit the center each day.

They also had concentrated on employed people who needed to find better jobs or those unemployed who were employable. They also will seek those who are unemployable with the goal of getting a job.

Board members, most of whom work for private or other government-funded social services agencies, also asked about offering referrals from their agencies of people who would be candidates. Davis said they would consider them, too, if they met the qualifications.

"The art of the program is how we show that person where they are 10 years down the road," Davis said. "They are in crisis now, so it's truly an art."

Michael Dow, chairman of the center's advisory board, also serves on the Community Action Board, which advises all the centers.

He said the board, which had directed that this program be implemented, is looking at the five centers to see what difficulties each is having in getting the 20 families.

The center's advisory board's next meeting, open to the public, will be 10 a.m. April 15 at the center.

Tribune correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851.

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