Lt. Gov. tours Community Action, hears about agency’s services in era of budget cuts

Community faces challenges with housing, healthcare, lack of childcare, food insecurity

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado gets a tour of Community Action’s Main Street Corner Thrifts, Gifts and More store during his visit on Tuesday. Here, he talks with Cassie Healy, manager of the store; Renee Hungerford, Community Action’s chief executive officer; and Jackie Dunham, chief operating officer.

ALBION – Staff of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee welcomed Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado to the main Street Corner Thrifts, Gifts and More store on Tuesday, where they shared their agency’s many services and struggles with budget cuts.

Delgado toured the store and visited with Renee Hungerford, CEO; Jackie Gardner, COO; Melinda Daniels, executive assistant; Ryan Lasal, director of Community Programming; Barbara Shine, board member; and Cassie Healy, Community Development and ROMA manager.

Hungerford explained the programs Community Action offers, saying the agency has come a long way in the last five years.

“We’ve rebuilt our programs to focus on the differences we can make with people and achieve meaningful outcomes, rather than focus on only services,” Hungerford said. “Our mission is to help people become self-sufficient. That means we partner with people and provide support as they help themselves. Resources are scarce, so outcomes are monitored to ensure services are meeting the objectives for which they are intended.”

Some of the programs discussed included High School Credit Recovery, the Prom Program, the new Fresh Start Center, Veterans’ Telehealth program, Case Management/Emergency Services, Head Start and Early Head Start, Project Salus, Child Care Resource Center, Weatherization, Cooling and Door-Through-Door Transportation services. Hungerford also shared information on the Holley Community Center, where a prepared meal is served five days a week. They are also working with Orleans County Mental Health to bring mental health services to the Holley Center.

Lasal spoke of the lack of childcare, which is an epidemic in Orleans County, he said. He said the demand is not even close to being met, and the county has run out of money from the Child Care Assistance Program to fund childcare programs. Community Action is doing its best to subsidize what they can to keep children in Head Start programs, but this is not sustainable, Hungerford said. Parents, including key staff members, are facing the decision of leaving a job due to the inability to afford daycare. This is then exacerbated as staff shortages impact what service that can be offered.

Staff of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee welcomed Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado to the Main Street Corner Thrifts, Gifts and More store on Tuesday. From left are Amanda DeSantis, chief of staff for Delgado; Melinda Daniels, executive assistant at Community Action; Delgado; Renee Hungerford, chief executive officer of Community Action; Jackie Dunham, chief operating officer at Community Action; Ryan Lasal, director of Community Programming; and Barb Shine, a member of Community Action’s board.

Hungerford also discussed the local shortage of healthcare services, saying the ratio of individuals to primary care doctors has been more than 13,000 to 1, and just recently dropped to a little under 10,000 to 1.

“Our agency has a strong focus on addressing the ‘social determinants’ of health, such as food insecurity and shelter, to help people stay healthy and try to minimize the burden on the healthcare system,” Hungerford said. “We are a Medicaid 1115 waiver participant, which expands services we are able to provide eligible customers.”

Dunham discussed the Weatherization Program, saying there is a waiting list of one year for people needing help with home improvements. They have a crew of four very dedicated and capable workers, she said, who are determined to make a home comfortable and affordable for a family to live in.

“The feedback we get from their work is ‘Wow!’” Dunham said.

Hungerford added there are concerns with many of their funding sources, including LIHEAP, which could impact the future of the Weatherization Program.

Delgado asked what their biggest concern was, and Hungerford said, “Food and housing.”

“Housing is a big problem,” she said. “When people come to us for emergency shelter, we have nowhere to put them, except in a motel. Housing has a complex layer of needs, in that we need emergency housing, transitional housing, first-time homebuyer support and support for people who own, but need to renovate and repair our aging housing stock. At the other end of the spectrum, if we could attract more businesses, we would need housing that is suitable for potential employees who could move into the area.

She also said we need to attract more businesses, because there aren’t enough jobs, especially well-paying jobs.

“Our population is declining and that is not good for the economy,” she added.

Delgado said his visit is part of his goal to visit Community Action agencies across the state.

“It’s important to touch as many agencies as I can to see what’s going on and to understand the growing need,” he said. “The numbers are growing and the lines are getting longer. I hear that everywhere I go.”

The lieutenant governor’s visit comes as Community Action of Orleans and Genesee celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.