MOULTRIE, Ga. — Officials describe Colquitt County’s Emergency Relief Fund as “local people helping local people,” but now this effort, which has existed in relative anonymity for more than 30 years, is seeking help itself as donations have steadily declined over the last decade.

ERF provides a means of assistance to families in emergency situations when there is no other assistance option, according to Randy Weldon, chief executive officer of the Southwest Georgia Community Action Council, the agency responsible for administering the fund.

“This (help) might be in the form of a rent payment to keep a family from becoming homeless when the head of household suddenly loses their job due to the closing of a business,” Weldon said. “This might be in the form of a utility payment to keep electricity turned on when an individual is out of work without an alternate source of income due to emergency surgery.  This might even be in the form of a payment for uniforms to allow a person to obtain a stable job.”

More than 30 years ago, the need was recognized for a local resource to serve as a “safety net” for those who otherwise may not meet eligibility requirements for more traditional sources of assistance and in instances when traditional funding sources are exhausted, Weldon said. In response to this need, a group of concerned citizens and representatives of local social service agencies organized what became the Colquitt County Emergency Relief Board.

The current board is chaired by United Way Director and Moultrie City Council member Angela Castellow. Membership includes representation from a variety of local social service agencies, businesses, religious organizations, concerned citizens, and City of Moultrie and Colquitt County officials.

Funding support for ERF is diverse and comes entirely from local resources, Weldon said. These sources currently include United Way, Colquitt County Commissioners, City of Moultrie, and various churches and religious organizations. ERF is written in the county budget as a line item, while City of Moultrie donations come from utility customers via a “check-off donation box” on utility statements whereby customers have the opportunity to voluntarily write-in a donation amount to add to payment of their monthly bill.

While the board meets every other month and provides oversight for ERF, Southwest Georgia Community Action Council is the entity responsible for administering funds. CAC provides client intake, determines eligibility, and issues payment on behalf of the client to the appropriate landlord, mortgage holder, utility provider, or other vendor. No payments are made directly to clients.

In 2016 ERF assisted 438 families in the amount of almost $68,000 while making 335 referrals to the Food Bank for food assistance.

A point of pride for the board is that all funds go to direct client services, Weldon said. No donations are spent on administrative expenses.

“It’s almost unheard of for a public assistance service to be offered with absolutely zero administrative costs, but that’s what we’re able to do,” he said. “The staff members that we utilize to provide the service are paid through other funding sources, so we are pleased to be in a position to administer the funds and allow every dollar to go directly to those in need.”

Another point of pride is that all funds go to Colquitt County residents. Castellow stated, “It truly is a case of our community taking care of our own.”

Castellow goes on to point out, however, that support from the religious community has waned in recent years.  

In February, members of the board pointed out that the dollar value of religious contributions in 2016 was less than half the amount contributed 10 years ago. The board made it a priority for 2017 to reverse that trend, Weldon said, but as the year nears its close he acknowledged that any change has been minimal.

“We are happy to be a referral resource for churches when individuals and families approach them with requests for assistance,” Weldon said. “Unlike many local churches, we are set up to conduct appropriate screening to verify that needs are legitimate prior to providing assistance. We often are able to provide additional services available through our agency and make referrals to other community resources such as the Food Bank, DFCS, or Salvation Army.

The need for ERF is great,” he said, “so increased funding support for ERF will allow us to serve additional families and make a more significant impact in our community.”

To learn more about the Colquitt County Emergency Relief Fund or to make a monetary donation, contact Ann Hires, planner with Southwest Georgia Community Action Council, at 985-3610.