Officials are moving forward in seeking funding to provide services to lower-income citizens and children in Lewis and Mason counties.
While a public hearing at Monday’s Board of County Commissioners only drew public testimony from one person, the grant will help an estimated 5,000 people, according to a project description from the Lewis County Department of Public Health and Social Services.
The department will be applying for the grant on behalf of the Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason and Thurston Counties.
“This money is a core money for (Lewis and Mason county) communities to make sure that we can provide services in those two communities,” John Walsh, CEO for the council, told The Chronicle.
Walsh said the funds support programs such as utility payment assistance, services referral, crime victims support and child abuse advocacy.
Monarch Children’s Justice and Advocacy Center, which is located in Lacey, provides advocacy, supports case coordination, conducts child forensic interviews and gives technical assistance for child abuse victims. While the Centralia office runs its own program, the Monarch has specialists available to travel south to the office as needed, thanks in part to the grant.
Without the grant, Walsh said, it is possible children in Lewis County would have to travel to Lacey to get advocacy services.
“Funding for all social services agencies is extremely competitive and difficult to get, so what it basically means is our services would get reduced somehow without that funding,” Walsh said.
The county department will be applying for the Public Services Grant through the Washington state Department of Commerce’s Community Development Block Grant Program, which benefits lower-income residents by funding services through county or community action agencies.
If awarded, Lewis County is expected to receive $100,874, which it would then subcontract to the council. Walsh said the CAC has received the grant money for many years following legislative action dating back about 20 years.
Walsh said roughly 55 percent of the money goes to Lewis County and the rest goes to Mason County.
Until three years ago, Thurston County officials acted as the administrators of the grant. At that time the county exceeded the maximum allowable population to be eligible for the grant.
Lewis County has been acting as the administrator since then and is eligible to collect $3,500 in administration fees from the grant.
