Aiken County gets federal funds to give to area charities

AIKEN --- More than $103,000 in federal funds has been awarded to Aiken County for distribution to area agencies that assist the needy.

The money is a yearly grant distributed under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program through the United Way of Aiken County.

"Normally, (the money) is spread out among a good number of agencies in Aiken County, such as the Salvation Army, ACTS and Christ Central," said Sharon Rodgers, the president of the United Way of Aiken County. "It's most of your agencies that provide food and shelter and utility assistance in the community that will apply for funding."

A board will decide which agencies will receive funds.

"It's a hard decision when you have so many needs and, unfortunately, limited resources," Ms. Rodgers said.

For fiscal year 2008 Congress appropriated $200 million to the program -- an increase of about $47 million from the previous year.

But despite the overall increase in funding, Aiken County will receive about $7,000 less than the year before.

"I'm sure the need is going to be much greater this year just with everything that's going on," Ms. Rodgers said. "I was a little disappointed when I saw the amount of money. I was hoping it would be just as much or more than we got last year."

Still, Ms. Rodgers said, the agency is happy to get whatever monetary assistance it can, "because every dollar will be needed and will be used."

"There are so many areas that are hard-hit by the economy, and I'm sure that is something" the national board had to look at when allocating the funds, she said.

Richmond County also received a federal grant of $149,200 that will be distributed through the United Way of the CSRA to programs that provide assistance with food, shelter, utilities assistance, and rent and mortgage funding.

Agencies in Aiken County that want to apply for funding can pick up an application at the United Way office at 235 Barnwell Ave. N.W. Applications are due by Feb. 27. For more information, call (803) 648-8331.

The application deadline for agencies in Richmond County is today at noon. For more information, call (706) 724-5544.

Reach Michelle Guffey at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or michelle.guffey@augustachronicle.com.